Buffalo Sabres vs Montreal Canadiens — Saturday, October 17, 2026 Game Analysis
Buffalo Sabres at Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre. Final/OT.
MTL4VS
BUF3Bell Centre
- USNHLN, MSG-B
- CanadaSportsnet, TVA Sports
MTL
- PPZachary Bolduc (4)
- Cole Caufield (4)
- Alexandre Texier (1)
- Cole Caufield (5)
BUF
- Josh Norris (2)
- SHJack Quinn (5)
- Tage Thompson (5)
Official game highlights
Game statistics
| Statistic | Buffalo Sabres | Montreal Canadiens |
|---|---|---|
| Shots on goal | 26 | 34 |
| Power-play goals | 0 | 1 |
| Power-play opportunities | 4 | 5 |
| Power-play conversion (%) | 0.0 | 20.0 |
| Faceoffs won (%) | 36.8 | 63.2 |
| Hits | 18 | 20 |
| Blocked shots | 17 | 13 |
| Takeaways | 7 | 3 |
| Giveaways | 19 | 9 |
| Penalty minutes | 10 | 8 |
Source: ESPN game statistics.
Buffalo Sabres vs Montreal Canadiens Game Analysis
Montreal Canadiens defeated Buffalo Sabres, 4–3 in overtime. Montreal Canadiens led shots on goal 34–26. Buffalo Sabres went 0-for-4; Montreal Canadiens went 1-for-5. Montreal Canadiens won 63.2% of the faceoffs.
Based on the recorded result and reported team totals. These comparisons describe this game, not season averages.
Canadiens 4, Sabres 3 in OT on October 17, 2026
On October 17, 2026, the Montreal Canadiens beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 in overtime at Bell Centre. Cole Caufield scored his second goal of the game just 54 seconds into the extra period. Montreal earned its third victory in 4 games and improved to 4-3-1.
Caufield chased down a puck that rebounded off the boards following a Buffalo scoring chance. He broke in alone and beat Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to end the game. The Sabres had recovered from a 2-goal deficit to force overtime.
Josh Norris opened the scoring for Buffalo before Zachary Bolduc answered on a Montreal power play. Caufield put the Canadiens ahead later in the first period. Alexandre Texier extended the advantage to 3-1 in the second.
Jack Quinn and Tage Thompson also scored for the Sabres. Jacob Fowler finished with 23 saves for Montreal, while Luukkonen stopped 30 shots. Juraj Slafkovsky and Alexandre Carrier each supplied 2 assists. Buffalo moved to 4-3-2.
Scoring and goaltending
Montreal Canadiens won 4–3 at Bell Centre.
Who scored
- Josh Norris Goal (2) Snap Shot, assists: Konsta Helenius (1)
- Zachary Bolduc Goal (4) Tip-In, assists: Nick Suzuki (6), Juraj Slafkovský (3)
- Cole Caufield Goal (4) Snap Shot, assists: Juraj Slafkovský (4), Alexandre Carrier (2)
- Alexandre Texier Goal (1) Snap Shot, assists: Kaiden Guhle (1), Alexandre Carrier (3)
- Jack Quinn Goal (5) Snap Shot, assists: Zach Benson (6), Mattias Samuelsson (5)
- Tage Thompson Goal (5) Snap Shot, assists: Josh Doan (1), Jiri Kulich (2)
- Cole Caufield Goal (5) Snap Shot, assists: none
Goalies
- Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 30 of 34 for Buffalo Sabres.
- Jacob Fowler stopped 23 of 26 for Montreal Canadiens.
Cole Caufield Goal (5) Snap Shot, assists: none That made the score 3–4 in the OT, and Montreal Canadiens stayed ahead.