Winning streaks are never easy, but snapping a lengthy losing streak can be just as hard, if not harder. On Monday, the Montreal Canadiens scored a season-high seven goals to pick up a much-needed 7-5 victory over the Buffalo Sabres, ending a six-game losing streak.
It was an old-fashioned shootout in a game featuring goals less than a minute or two apart, and the last goal wins kind of afternoon. Let’s revisit some of the game’s highlights with the latest edition of Canadiens takeaways.
Goals in Bunches
It was an exciting afternoon in Buffalo as neither team had a chance to maintain a lead for long stretches of the contest. Here’s a breakdown of how quickly the goals were scored:
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Montreal 1-0 at 4:14; 28 seconds later, Buffalo tied it at 1-1.
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Montreal 2-1 at 5:26; 19 seconds later, Buffalo tied it at 2-2.
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Buffalo grabs their first lead 3-2 at 6:44, 59 seconds after tying it.
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Nick Suzuki ties the contest at 3-3 at 19:13.
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Suzuki restores Montreal’s lead, 4-3, 22 seconds after his first goal.
Only Buffalo held the lead for longer than a minute through the first two periods, maintaining a 3-2 advantage for 12:13. Despite being down a goal to start the third, they made things interesting to start the third period, tying the contest at 1:58 and then regaining the lead just 1:53 later at 3:51.
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However, the Canadiens knotted it up at 5-5 at 10:50 before Cole Caufield’s second of the night held up as the game-winner just 2:08 later at 12:58. In a game that featured 12 goals, the win came down to who would score last, which ended up being Montreal.
Deuces are Wild
Caufield and Nick Suzuki scored two goals in the same game for the first time since teaming together in 2020-21. Considering how talented both players are, they came through in a must-win game for Montreal, ending a season-high six-game winless streak.
Meanwhile, Lane Hutson picked up two more helpers to remain near the top of rookie scoring. Moreover, Kirby Dach had two assists, and Jujai Slafkovsky had three assists, setting up both of Suzuki’s lamplighters at the end of the second period.
Christian Dvorak capped the afternoon off with an empty-net goal, while Josh Anderson opened the scoring. Both players finished with two points, and seven Canadiens players had a multi-point game.
Goalie Tandem Saves the Day
On Monday, the Canadiens gave up five goals, the tenth time the team has surrendered at least four goals in a game this season. Their record before the victory against the Sabres was 0-9-0.
Cayden Primeau got pulled for the first time this year, giving Sam Montembeault a chase to come in and save the day. This is a reversal of fortunes as the de facto number starter, Montembeault, is often the one getting the hook.
Thankfully, the Canadiens tallied a season-high seven goals because the team’s goalies continue to lead the league in goals against (66) and remains the only club in the NHL with a GAA over four at 4.13.
Last year, after 16 games, Montreal had given up only 55 goals, but with two blowout losses, they were up to 66 by game 18 en route to finishing with the 29th-worst goals-against totals in the league.
These wins won’t come easy, and some nights, it may take both goalies to save one another on top of bailing up a leaky defense and sometimes cold forwards.
Canadiens & Sabres Trivia Answers
How did you score in our Game Day Trivia quiz? Here are the answers.
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Nick Suzuki
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Brian Bellow, Mark Napier
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Alex Kovalev
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Chris Nilan
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Patrick Roy
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Stephane Richer
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Thomas Vanek
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Dave Dryden
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Max Pacioretty
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Brian Gionta
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