Rasmus Dahlin netted the tying goal with just 1:01 left in regulation, capping off Buffalo’s rally from a three-goal deficit, but the Sabres ultimately fell short in overtime, losing 4-3 to the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre on Monday night.
Mike Matheson sealed the win for Montreal 1:21 into the extra frame, preventing Buffalo from completing the comeback after the Canadiens initially jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Their early advantage came entirely from special teams, with Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky capitalizing on power plays, while Nick Suzuki added a shorthanded tally.
Buffalo clawed back with goals from Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson before Dahlin’s late equalizer. The Sabres outshot Montreal 36-20 but struggled on the power play, going 0-for-4. Meanwhile, the Canadiens converted twice on five attempts, with four of those opportunities coming in the first period.
James Reimer turned aside 16 shots for Buffalo, while Sam Montembeault made 33 saves on 36 attempts for Montreal.
BILLS GAME WEEK: Buffalo heads to Los Angeles for Monday Night Football matchup with Rams (preview) With the loss, the Sabres have dropped three straight games (0-2-1), including a regulation defeat against the Canadiens at home on Saturday.
Buffalo has a quick turnaround as they are set to host the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.
