English
The Montreal Canadiens earned their second consecutive victory on Tuesday night, defeating the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 in a shootout at the Bell Centre. Montreal dominated the game from start to finish, outshooting Buffalo 34-17 over 60 minutes. However, three deflected goals kept the Sabres alive long enough to force overtime before the Canadiens finally closed it out.
Canadiens Control Play Despite Defensive Shuffling
Montreal entered the game without defenseman Mike Matheson, who is nursing a day-to-day injury. As a result, the team reshuffled its defensive pairings. Kaiden Guhle, recently returned from surgery on a core injury, paired with Alexandre Carrier. Lane Hutson moved alongside Noah Dobson, while Adam Engstrom and Arber Xhekaj formed the third pairing.
Stay connected to every major update — subscribe and follow us on the PhoenixQ website and across our social media platforms.
Guhle looked composed and confident in just his second game back. He was especially effective on the penalty kill, where his skill set proved valuable. Late in overtime, Carrier made a courageous shot block with three seconds remaining to keep the Canadiens alive. Guhle, meanwhile, showed his competitive edge after the period ended, engaging physically with several Sabres players.
Buffalo also faced its own injury concerns. Star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin stayed behind in Buffalo with a back injury and did not travel for the game.
Hutson and Caufield Lead the Offence
Lane Hutson continued his point-per-game pace and stood out as Montreal’s most dynamic offensive force. Early in the first period, with a two-man advantage, Hutson wired a shot to the top corner from 30 feet to open the scoring. Later, in the second period, he delivered a highlight-reel play. He took a pass from Zachary Bolduc, deked past two defenders, drew the goalie’s attention, then fed a backhand pass to Josh Anderson, who one-timed it home.
Cole Caufield also scored, finishing a pass from Juraj Slafkovsky for his third goal of the season. Nick Suzuki added an assist, giving him eight points in six games. Both Caufield and Slafkovsky recorded two points each on the night.
After 40 minutes, the Sabres had managed only nine shots on goal. That stood in sharp contrast to their offensive output during last spring’s playoff series, when they repeatedly broke down Montreal’s defence.
Three Deflections Hand Buffalo a Lifeline
Despite their dominance, the Canadiens allowed three goals in unusual fashion. Each one deflected off a Montreal player and into the net, giving goaltender Jacob Fowler no chance on any of them.
Defenseman Adam Engstrom was directly involved in two of those goals. On his first shift, he gave the puck away under little pressure. Shortly after, a point shot struck his leg and redirected into the net. In the third period, a harmless-looking shot from Josh Norris hit the inside of Engstrom’s leg and deflected in again. The third Sabres goal went off Hutson’s skate on another weak point shot.
Those three deflections allowed Buffalo to tie the game and force overtime, despite being thoroughly outplayed throughout the night.
Canadiens Sweep the Shootout
Montreal scored on all three of its shootout attempts to secure the win. Caufield went first and beat the goalie cleanly. Alexandre Texier followed with a sharp shot of his own. Finally, Bolduc delivered the decisive attempt, opening up the goalie’s legs with a slick move and sliding the puck home mid-deke.
The result gave the Canadiens their second straight win. Jake Evans did not score but contributed effectively, particularly on the penalty kill. He pressured attackers at the Buffalo blue line, cleared pucks aggressively and showed strong defensive awareness throughout the game.
Kirby Dach, however, continued to struggle. He took a penalty in the first period after failing to keep his feet moving on a back-check. The Canadiens remain thin at centre due to injuries to Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov, which limits their options at the position.
Off the ice, Montreal prospect Michael Hage is drawing attention at the college level. Hage has recorded 12 points in his first four games this season, an extraordinary pace even against lighter competition. This weekend’s games against Michigan and Denver will offer a clearer picture of where he stands. Meanwhile, defenseman Luke Middlestadt has been outstanding for the Laval Rocket in the American Hockey League, posting seven points in four games. A seventh-round pick at 197th overall, Middlestadt is currently just one point off the AHL scoring lead.
