Skip to content
Sabres at Canadiens
NHL

Buffalo Sabres at Montréal Canadiens

NHL scoreboard
Buffalo Sabres
▸3
Montréal Canadiens
2
FinalTV ESPN, CBC·Centre Bell

Recap

written from the game data

The Buffalo Sabres beat the Montréal Canadiens 3-2. The lead changed hands 2 times. It was tied 2-2 after two periods. The biggest swing in win probability was Zach Benson's goal at 4:41 of the third period, which took the Sabres' chances from 53% to 75%. Expected goals favored the Canadiens, 3.5 to 3.2; shots on goal were BUF 22, MTL 31. With league-average goaltending at both ends, the Canadiens win a replay of these chances 55% of the time. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 29 of 31 (.935), 1.5 goals saved above expected; Jakub Dobes stopped 19 of 22 (.864). Three stars: 1. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (29 saves, .935), 2. Mattias Samuelsson (1 G), 3. Cole Caufield (1 G).

Three stars

  1. ★
    BUF
    U. Luukkonen29 saves, .935
  2. ★★
    BUF
    M. Samuelsson1 G
  3. ★★★
    MTL
    C. Caufield1 G

Line score

goals · shots on goal beneath
Goals and shots on goal by period
Team1st2nd3rdT
BUFBUF1121515322
MTLMTL28011012231

Scoring

5 goals

1st period

  1. BUF
    M. Samuelsson(3)
    J. Norris (1), J. Doan (6)
    snapxG 0.21win prob +12 ptsVideo
    1-0
    6:32
  2. MTL
    A. Newhook(6)
    J. Evans (5), I. Demidov (4)
    snapxG 0.24win prob +13 ptsVideo
    1-1
    10:08
  3. MTL
    C. Caufield(3)PPG
    J. Slafkovský (2), L. Hutson (8)
    wristxG 0.17win prob +14 ptsVideo
    1-2
    19:47

2nd period

  1. BUF
    T. Thompson(4)PPG
    R. Dahlin (5)
    snapxG 0.01win prob +8 ptsVideo
    2-2
    7:00

3rd period

  1. BUF
    Z. Benson(4)PPG
    J. Doan (7), T. Thompson (7)
    backhandxG 0.18win prob +22 ptsVideo
    3-2
    4:41

Penalties

BUF 16 PIM·MTL 10 PIM

1st

  • 11:28MTLAlexandre Carrier · Trippingdrawn by Jason Zucker2 min
  • 12:06BUFRasmus Dahlin · Interferencedrawn by Kaiden Guhle2 min
  • 14:57BUFJason Zucker · Roughingdrawn by Joseph Veleno2 min
  • 17:25BUFPeyton Krebs · Roughingdrawn by Zachary Bolduc2 min
  • 17:25MTLZachary Bolduc · Roughingdrawn by Peyton Krebs2 min
  • 19:19BUFTage Thompson · Cross checkingdrawn by Kaiden Guhle2 min

2nd

  • 2:23BUFBowen Byram · High stickingdrawn by Josh Anderson2 min
  • 5:56MTLAlexandre Carrier · High sticking double minordrawn by Rasmus Dahlin4 min
  • 11:21BUFRasmus Dahlin · Interferencedrawn by Cole Caufield2 min
  • 18:31BUFBowen Byram · High sticking double minordrawn by Alexandre Texier4 min

3rd

  • 3:47MTLJake Evans · Holdingdrawn by Peyton Krebs2 min

Win probability

ours · the whole game
Tap or hover the chart for the moment-by-moment number
MTL goalBUF goalFinal: MTL 0%

Biggest swing: Zach Benson, 3rd 4:41 — BUF 53% → 75%

Shot map

unblocked attempts · size = our xG
A. Newhook · Goal · xG 0.24J. Slafkovský · On goal · xG 0.22A. Newhook · On goal · xG 0.22C. Caufield · Goal · xG 0.17A. Newhook · On goal · xG 0.17J. Evans · Missed · xG 0.16C. Caufield · On goal · xG 0.15N. Suzuki · Missed · xG 0.15J. Slafkovský · Missed · xG 0.15M. Matheson · On goal · xG 0.15N. Suzuki · On goal · xG 0.13C. Caufield · On goal · xG 0.12A. Newhook · On goal · xG 0.12J. Slafkovský · On goal · xG 0.11J. Anderson · On goal · xG 0.11C. Caufield · On goal · xG 0.11I. Demidov · On goal · xG 0.09J. Slafkovský · On goal · xG 0.08J. Slafkovský · On goal · xG 0.07I. Demidov · On goal · xG 0.07J. Slafkovský · Missed · xG 0.06C. Caufield · On goal · xG 0.06M. Matheson · Missed · xG 0.06A. Newhook · On goal · xG 0.06J. Anderson · On goal · xG 0.05N. Dobson · Missed · xG 0.04P. Danault · Missed · xG 0.04A. Texier · On goal · xG 0.04N. Suzuki · On goal · xG 0.03J. Anderson · On goal · xG 0.03A. Texier · On goal · xG 0.03K. Dach · On goal · xG 0.02A. Newhook · Missed · xG 0.02N. Dobson · On goal · xG 0.02J. Slafkovský · On goal · xG 0.02M. Matheson · On goal · xG 0.02K. Guhle · On goal · xG 0.01N. Dobson · Missed · xG 0.01A. Carrier · Missed · xG 0.01N. Dobson · On goal · xG 0.01K. Guhle · Missed · xG 0.01L. Hutson · Missed · xG 0.01L. Hutson · Missed · xG 0.01C. Caufield · Missed · xG 0.01M. Matheson · On goal · xG 0.00
MTL2 G · 3.5 xG · 45 att
Tap a shot for who, when and how likely
GoalOn goalMissedBigger = higher xG

Expected goals

BUFvsMTL
3.23 G
All situations
2 G3.5
2.61 G
Even strength
1 G1.9
0.52 G
Power play
1 G1.6
0.10 G
Shorthanded
0 G0.0

Expected goals: the chance each unblocked attempt scores, from our shot model, summed. 83 unblocked attempts.

Deserve to win

on the chances created
BUF45%55%MTL

Flurry-adjusted xG 3.11 – 3.43

How often each side wins a replay of these chances with league-average goaltending at both ends. Rebounds in a flurry are counted once, so a scramble is not three chances.

Team stats

BUFvsMTL
22
Shots on goal
31
52%
Faceoffs
48%
2/4
Power play
1/7
16
Penalty minutes
10
23
Hits
26
27
Blocked shots
6
14
Giveaways
15
6
Takeaways
2

Box score

every player line
Buffalo Sabres skaters
SkaterGAP+/-SOGixGHitBlkPIMFO%TOI
23M. SamuelssonD101020.23660—23:47
25O. PowerD000000.00110—23:43
89A. TuchR000040.4710010021:58
21C. TimminsD000000.20250—21:38
4B. ByramD000-120.09016—20:42
26R. DahlinD011+120.05244—19:29
72T. ThompsonC112020.120025019:14
19P. KrebsC000000.081022515:47
91J. DoanR022+100.0001010015:30
6Z. BensonL101+110.34120—14:21
22J. QuinnR000030.49200—14:06
94K. HeleniusC000030.631106712:53
9J. NorrisC011+100.000106312:41
17J. ZuckerL000010.20112—12:14
29B. MalenstynL000-120.19300—10:52
12J. GreenwayL000-100.00210—09:58
71R. McLeodC000-100.070106009:35
5L. SchennD000000.00020—07:04
Buffalo Sabres goalies
GoalieSASVGASV%xGAGSAxTOI
1U. Luukkonen(W)31292.9353.51+1.5160:00

Series

MTL leads 4-3

Data: NHL. Model: Gridpex (expected goals and win probability built on NHL play-by-play).