Buffalo gives rookie goaltender Dobes the W
Score: Buffalo Sabres 2 | Montreal Canadiens 4
Shots: BUF 25 | MTL 29
Buffalo Sabres Goals: Tuch (22), Kulich (12)
Montreal Canadiens Goals: Caufield (29-PP), Anderson (10), Newhook (12), Evans (12-EN)
Minus 1: A Quick One
After a scoreless first period, it took just 1:13 of the second period to make the sizable contingent of Habs fans at KeyBank Center happy. Cole Caufield notched his 29th of the season to give Montreal its first lead of the night, on the power play.
Plus 1: A Good Response
Despite going down 1-0 early in the second period, the Sabres did do a good job of responding. Alex Tuch tied the game at 6:04, and less than 90 seconds later, Jiri Kulich put Buffalo in the lead. That’s exactly the kind of response you hope for in a situation like this. Level the game, then put yourselves ahead.
Minus 2: A Sinking Ship
After Jake Anderson tied the game with 6:27 to play in the second period, it was like a new game – a clean slate. But then, Alex Newhook scored with less than three seconds left (2.6) in the middle frame, and that was the dagger for the Sabres. It’s always tough to give up a late goal like that, and even moreso against a team like Montreal. The Habs were 16-2-0 when leading after two, while the Sabres were 4-19-0 when trailing after 40 minutes. Polar opposites, and that late goal combined with the teams’ respective records really put a damper on everything for Buffalo.
Trade Deadline Looms
The NHL trade deadline looms in the not-so-distant future, and we saw three deals executed on Saturday across the league. Colorado acquired Jimmy Vesey, Ryan Lindgren & Hank Kempf from the NY Rangers in exchange for Calvin de Haan, Juuso Parssinen and two conditional draft picks. Elsewhere, the Wild acquired Gustav Nyquist from Nashville in exchange for a 2026 2nd-rounder. Also, Seth Jones was shipped out to Florida along with a draft pick, with Chicago picking up goaltender Spencer Knight and a 2026 1st-rounder in the exchange.
What, if any, deals will the Sabres pull off? Henri Jokiharju was scratched on Saturday night, but it’s unclear if that was specifically for trade purposes. David Pagnotta from The Fourth Period did say the Sabres are trying to move him, so… we’ll have to wait & see.
Final Thoughts
There’s no rest for the weary, as the Sabres are right back at it against the same Habs on Monday night, this time in Montreal. That kicks off a stretch of four games in six nights for the Sabres and the continuation of a very busy month of March.