Buffalo Sabres
Current season record
5–4–3 · 13 pts
Wins–losses–overtime losses · 2026-27
Next game listed by the source
at Anaheim Ducks
Game Analysis →Team information checked Oct 29, 2026.
Buffalo Sabres vs Montreal Canadiens — Tuesday, December 17, 2024 Game Analysis
Buffalo Sabres at Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre. Final.
Game Analysis
Bell Centre
- USMSG-B
- CanadaTSN, RDS
MTL
- Joel Armia (5)
- PPPatrik Laine (4)
- Juraj Slafkovsky (3)
- PPPatrik Laine (5)
- PPPatrik Laine (6)
- Josh Anderson (6)
BUF
- Dylan Cozens (7)
Buffalo Sabres vs Montreal Canadiens Game Summary — Tuesday, December 17, 2024
By Hockey in 60
Initial summary · A fuller recap will replace this when published.
Montreal Canadiens defeated Buffalo Sabres 6–1. The game was played at Bell Centre.
A brief summary of the verified result. Source: ESPN game record. Detailed reporting is shown when available.
Buffalo Sabres vs Montreal Canadiens Game Analysis — Tuesday, December 17, 2024
By Hockey in 60
Montreal Canadiens paired the victory with a 27–21 advantage in shots on goal, accounting for 56.3% of the two teams’ combined shots. That gives the result support beyond the scoreline: the winning side also put more attempts on target. Shot totals alone do not show the quality of those chances or how the balance changed while either team was protecting a lead.
Buffalo Sabres converted 0 of 5 power plays (0.0%); Montreal Canadiens converted 3 of 6 power plays (50.0%). The 3-goal net power-play edge accounted for part of the 5-goal final margin. This identifies special teams as a meaningful scoring difference, without proving how the game would have unfolded with different penalties.
Buffalo Sabres won 51.8% of faceoffs yet was outshot 27–21. The faceoff advantage was not accompanied by a shot-volume advantage in the full-game totals. Winning a draw can provide an initial chance to control the puck, but it does not establish sustained possession or attacking pressure; zone entries, puck recovery and chance-quality data would be needed to explain the disconnect.
Hockey in 60’s interpretation of verified game statistics, highlighting meaningful differences and what they suggest about the result. Comparisons describe this game, not season averages. Source: ESPN game statistics.
Buffalo Sabres vs Montreal Canadiens Official Game Highlights — Tuesday, December 17, 2024
Buffalo Sabres vs Montreal Canadiens Game Statistics — Tuesday, December 17, 2024
| Statistic | Buffalo Sabres | Montreal Canadiens |
|---|---|---|
| Shots on goal | 21 | 27 |
| Power-play goals | 0 | 3 |
| Power-play opportunities | 5 | 6 |
| Power-play conversion (%) | 0.0 | 50.0 |
| Faceoffs won (%) | 51.8 | 48.2 |
| Hits | 26 | 7 |
| Blocked shots | 13 | 23 |
| Takeaways | 8 | 8 |
| Giveaways | 11 | 10 |
| Penalty minutes | 12 | 10 |
Source: ESPN game statistics.
Scoring and goaltending
Montreal Canadiens won 6–1 at Bell Centre.
Who scored
- Joel Armia Goal (5) Snap Shot, assists: Jake Evans (11), Emil Heineman (4)
- Patrik Laine Goal (4) Snap Shot, assists: Nick Suzuki (20), Juraj Slafkovsky (14)
- Dylan Cozens Goal (7) Snap Shot, assists: JJ Peterka (13), Owen Power (16)
- Juraj Slafkovsky Goal (3) Snap Shot, assists: Cole Caufield (11), David Savard (6)
- Patrik Laine Goal (5) Slap Shot, assists: Nick Suzuki (21), Lane Hutson (20)
- Patrik Laine Goal (6) Snap Shot, assists: Cole Caufield (12), Lane Hutson (21)
- Josh Anderson Goal (6) Snap Shot, assists: Christian Dvorak (8), Brendan Gallagher (7)
Goalies
- Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 15 of 21 for Buffalo Sabres.
- James Reimer stopped 6 of 6 for Buffalo Sabres.
- Sam Montembeault stopped 20 of 21 for Montreal Canadiens.
Joel Armia Goal (5) Snap Shot, assists: Jake Evans (11), Emil Heineman (4) That made the score 0–1 in the 1st, and Montreal Canadiens stayed ahead.