The Montreal Canadiens hosted the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night, hoping to extend their winning streak to three games while facing one of the hottest teams in the NHL.
The Habs had a significant advantage in shots and scoring chances, but it was the Sabres who left Montreal with a 4-2 victory.
Let’s dive into the highlights!
Not Terrible, Not Great
Even though the Jason Zucker scored just 56 seconds into the first period, the fastest goal from a road team this season in the NHL, the Canadiens enjoyed a relatively solid first period.
They had more shots and scoring chances at 5v5, but the Sabres outworked them by a wide margin on a few shifts, and capitalized on their opportunities. The Sabres were also the better team when it came to the physical play, a particularly frustrating situation when Arber Xhekaj, who leads all NHL defencemen in 5v5 hits this season (122), watched from the press box as a healthy scratch.
Beck Malenstyn’s goal to give Buffalo a 2-0 lead was the perfect example of the overall situation. He wanted it a lot more than Noah Dobson and Samuel Montembeault.
2-0 Sabres. Malenstyn outworks Dobson and Montembeault while shorthanded. pic.twitter.com/MXRS5tyczz
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) January 23, 2026
The Sabres would go on to establish a 3-0 lead with the help of a rather weak goal, which has become a nightly occurrence in Montreal’s end.
Benson outworks Hutson to get his own rebound. 3-0 Sabres. pic.twitter.com/o5U6rX3xUN
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) January 23, 2026
First Line Bounces Back
While the numbers suggested Montreal deserved a better fate, the odds were clearly stacked against them.
The first line decided to take charge from that point one, starting with Cole Caufield‘s 26th goal of the year, yet another excellent shot from the American sniper.
Not only did it cut the lead to 3-1, it put all the momentum firmly in Montreal’s corner.
This is going to SHOCK you, but Cole Caufield scored again.
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) January 23, 2026
Good work by Dach without his stick, and the usual solid playmaking by Suzuki. 3-1 #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/SlnE9aeKjB
Head coach Martin St-Louis decided to switch things up, placing Zachary Bolduc on the first line, rather than Kirby Dach. The experiment immediately yielded positive results, with Bolduc assisting on Suzuki’s 16th goal of the year.
With the score 3-2 in Buffalo’s favour, the teams retreated to the locker room knowing that Montreal held a wide edge in shots, to the tune of 25-11.
Unfortunately, it was too little, too late, as the Sabres nursed their one-goal lead long enough to score an empty-net goal, and secure a 4-2 win.
Nick Suzuki capitalizes on the good interception by Zachary Bolduc. 3-2 #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/s3RLhIY9PO
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) January 23, 2026
The Montreal Canadiens are back in action on Saturday, facing the Bruins in Boston. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 pm ET.
All Montreal Canadiens statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via Natural Stat Trick.
