Score: Canadiens 7, Sabres 5
Shots: MTL: 23, BUF: 18
Buffalo Sabres Goals: Tage Thompson (11), Dylan Cozens (3), Peyton Krebs (2), Rasmus Dahlin (3) (PPG), JJ Peterka (7)
Montreal Canadiens Goals: Josh Anderson (3), Cole Caulfield (11) (PPG), (12) (PPG), Nick Suzuki (5), (6), Emil Heineman (3), Christian Dvorak (2) (EN)
Plus 1: TNT Ties it Early
After Josh Anderson beat UPL with a quick one-timed snap shot just 4:14 into the first period to put Montreal on the board first, Tage Thompson quickly answered back to tie things at 1. Thompson is returning to the high-scoring player he was in previous seasons and now has at least one goal in each of his last four games. As far as Sabres’ fans are concerned, the more the merrier.
Plus 2: Cozens Evens it Up Again
The Habs were able to regain the lead, when Cole Caulfield tipped-in the puck to make it 2-1 Montreal 5:26 into the second period. However, Dylan Cozens responded with his own tip-in 19 seconds later to even the score once more, while Rasmus Dahlin and Alex Tuch were there for the assist. Cozens’ goal was only his third of the season so far. No. 24 has been quiet on the scoring side in 2024-25, so watching him put one in the Habs’ net was just what Buffalo needed.
Plus 3: Krebs Gets the Lead
Speaking of forwards who don’t score that often, Peyton Krebs beat Habs’ goalie Cayden Primeau with a snap shot to put the Sabres ahead 3-2. Krebs, like Cozens, netted his second goal of the year with help from D-men Bo Byram and Owen Power. Krebs hadn’t scored since Oct. 22. No. 19 is another player who needs to step up, if the Sabres want to keep their recent positive momentum going.
Plus 4: Dahlin Delivers
The Sabres were trailing early in the third after Nick Suzuki beat Luukkonen with two goals in less than 30 seconds to make it 4-3 Montreal. However, offensive-minded defenseman Dahlin wasn’t ready to concede yet, scoring a power play slapper with a Cozens’ assist to tie the score at 4. The Sabres’ captain’s third of the season put Buffalo back in business and the home crowd back in the game.
Plus 5: Peterka Backhands One In
Less than two minutes after Dahlin tied the score, JJ Peterka made it 5-4 Sabres, backhanding the puck past Primeau to put Buffalo ahead 5-4. With center Tage Thompson out for most of the matchup, Peterka had to pick up the slack and he did, energizing the half of the fans who weren’t wearing blue, white and red. Peterka now has a 7-7-14 record so far this year. If TNT is out for any length of time, No. 77 will be one of the forwards who’ll need to step up his offensive production.
Minus 1: Sloppy Defense, Goaltending Help Montreal Prevail
This game was a back-and-forth battle. Each time one team scored, their opponent answered, at least until the third period, when the Sabres’ poor defense and netminding did them in. After Peterka got a 5-4 lead, Emil Heineman tied it again midway through the final 20 minutes. Caulfield then got his second goal of the afternoon and second on the power play some two minutes later to make it 6-5 Habs. The Blue and Gold still had a chance to even the score once again when they pulled Devon Levi (both coaches switched goalies during the third) but Christian Dvorak took advantage of a Buffalo turnover to score the empty netter and put the game away.
Final Thoughts
Apologist 42 had the Comment of the Game: “It’s just so typical after they get on a run to lose to a team, at home, they should beat.” The Sabres had a three-game win streak going into this contest, defeating good teams including the New York Rangers and Calgary Flames, before disappointing a Veterans Day crowd in downtown Buffalo. The Canadiens, by contrast, were on a six-game losing streak, not winning two points since October 27.
One of the marks of a good team is beating opponents they should, not coughing up losses and giving them life. The Sabres let one of the NHL’s worst current franchises look like a playoff-contender in an embarrassing third period finish. Let’s hope there’s not more of that in store going forward.
Next up, Buffalo hosts the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night. Puck drop is at 7:00pm at KeyBank Center.