MONTREAL — In an impressive display on Tuesday night, Patrik Laine celebrated his first hat trick with the Montreal Canadiens, contributing to a commanding 6-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. This triumph marked an unfortunate milestone for the Sabres as they extended their winless streak to 11 games.

Montreal’s victory featured additional goals from Juraj Slafkovsky, Joel Armia, and Josh Anderson. Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Lane Hutson each provided two assists to help the team gain an upper hand, while goaltender Sam Montembeault made 20 saves on 21 shots. The Sabres managed to get one on the board through Dylan Cozens, but it was not enough to halt their slide. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, the starting goalie for Buffalo, recorded 15 saves and was replaced by backup James Reimer, who stopped all six shots he faced after coming in at the start of the third period.

This game came on the heels of a meeting that Sabres owner Terry Pegula held in Montreal, likely hoping to spark a change in fortunes for the struggling team. However, despite his presence, the Sabres faltered from the start. Armia struck just 19 seconds into the game, seizing an opportunity as Sabres defenseman Owen Power mishandled the puck against the end boards, leaving an open net.

Laine, now with six goals in just seven games since returning from a knee injury, found the back of the net for the 11th time in his career with this hat trick. His two power-play goals came in quick succession, just 1:10 apart, halfway through the second period, extending Montreal’s lead to 5-1.

Throughout the game, the Sabres appeared flat, as they only managed to record their first shot after ten minutes had passed, by which point the Canadiens had already put nine shots on net, including two goals. In addition, the Sabres struggled to maintain discipline, committing five minor penalties within the first two periods.

One of the game’s highlights occurred when Laine scored his third goal, prompting fans to throw hats onto the ice in a raucous celebration that echoed throughout the arena.

Notably, Laine has quickly climbed the ranks on the Canadiens’ scoring board despite his limited appearances thus far this season; he is already tied for fourth in goals with teammates Anderson, Alex Newhook, and Emil Heineman, all of whom have played at least 30 games.

Looking ahead, the Canadiens will be preparing for an upcoming match against the Detroit Red Wings this Friday night, while the Sabres will be hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs on the same evening.