MONTREAL – In a thrilling overtime finish, Mike Matheson propelled the Montreal Canadiens past the Buffalo Sabres with a final score of 4-3 on Monday night. Nick Suzuki was instrumental in the Canadiens’ victory, posting a goal and contributing three assists. Despite relinquishing a 3-0 lead, Montreal showed resilience, notching their fifth consecutive win.
Cole Caufield, netting his 30th goal of the season, and Juraj Slafkovsky also found the back of the net for Montreal, while goaltender Sam Montembeault made a commendable 33 saves. This win follows a 4-2 victory over the Sabres in Buffalo just two days prior.
Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin managed to tie the game with only 61 seconds left in regulation, assisted by goals from Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson. However, goalie James Reimer could only stop 16 shots, leading to the Sabres’ third straight loss.
With this win, the Canadiens (65 points) inch closer to securing a wild-card playoff spot, whereas the Sabres currently languish at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. Despite their late dominance in the second and third periods and Dahlin’s critical equalizer, Buffalo couldn’t clinch the win after Matheson’s decisive overtime goal.
The Canadiens managed to secure victory despite being heavily outshot 36-20, including a 27-11 deficit over the final two periods. The Sabres found themselves hampered by early penalties in what proved to be a contentious matchup, surrendering four power plays—and two power-play goals—right in the first period, giving Montreal an advantageous lead.
A pivotal moment unfolded when Dahlin, having been penalized three times previously, weaved from the blue line to the top of the left circle, ultimately beating Montembeault on the far side to push the game into overtime and secure an additional point for Buffalo.
Suzuki continues to be red-hot since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off break, amassing four goals and eight assists over the last five games, which have all resulted in victories for Montreal.
Looking ahead, the Sabres are slated to face the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Canadiens will embark on a four-game road trip starting Thursday, with their first opponent being the Edmonton Oilers.
