The Montreal Canadiens earned a hard-fought win in Buffalo as they beat the Sabres 3-2 in a shootout.
GAME RECAP | Montreal Canadiens 3 vs Buffalo Sabres 2 | FINAL/SO
FINAL: Montreal Canadiens defeated the Buffalo Sabres 3-2.Canadiens Lineup
Forwards
22 Cole Caufield - 14 Nick Suzuki - 20 Juraj Slafkovsky
91 Sean Monahan - 71 Jake Evans - 17 Josh Anderson
70 Tanner Pearson - 28 Christian Dvorak - 11 Brendan Gallagher
40 Joel Armia - 13 Stephens - 56 Jesse Ylonen
Defensemen
8 Mike Matheson - 27 Gustav Lindstrom
21 Kaiden Guhle - 52 Justin Barron
47 Jayden Struble - 26 Johnathan Kovacevic
Goaltenders
Starter: 30 Cayden Primeau
Alternate: 35 Sam Montembeault
Out of the lineup
Scratches: Mattias Norlinder, Jake Allen, Michael Pezzetta
Injuries: Carey Price (knee), Chris Wideman (back), Kirby Dach (knee), David Savard (hand), Rafael Harvey-Pinard (lower body), Jordan Harris (lower body), Alex Newhook (lower body)
Game Report
This match was a hard slog. there were big hits, both clean and not, as well as a healthy does of stickwork and plenty of after-the-whistle scrums. Not to say that it resembled a playoff game, but the atmosphere was tense.
Habs forward Tanner Pearson left the game after the first period. The Canadiens announced that Pearson had suffered an upper body injury would not return.
In the opening frame, Cayden Primeau was solid, as Montreal was outshot 17-7. The Sabres created six high danger scoring chances while the Habs managed just one.
It was the Canadiens who opened the scoring in the second period potting two goals just 14 seconds apart. Jayden Struble recorded his first career NHL goal while the teams were four aside. Nick Suzuki added a power play goal just seconds later.
Montreal took a two-goal lead to the second intermission. After 40 minutes, Primeau had recorded 29 saves.
We have seen the movie before as the 24-year-old Canadiens goaltender strings together two strong periods only to falter in the third. Buffalo scored a pair of even-strength goals to take the contest past regulation time.
Juraj Slafkovsky sealed the victory with the game-deciding goal in the fourth round of the shootout. Jesse Ylonen and Cole Caufield also scored in the shootout for Montreal.
It was Primeau's best game of the season which should give him some confidence as well as helping to propel trade discussions.
Game Statistics
Canadiens (12-12-3)
Shots: 31
Face-off %: 56.6
Power play: 1/4
Penalty minutes: 17
Hits: 10
Blocks:15
Sabres (11-15-2)
Shots: 48
Face-off %: 43.4
Power play: 0/5
Penalty minutes: 24
Hits: 17
Blocks: 9
Scoring Summary
Canadiens Scorers
1st period: --
2nd period: Struble (1), Suzuki (8)-PPG
3rd period: --
OT: --
SO: Slafkovsky - game-deciding goal
Sabres Scorers
1st period: --
2nd period: --
3rd period: Skinner (12), Okposo (4)
OT: --
SO: --
Goaltenders
MTL: Primeau (W) 3-3-0
BUF: Levi (OTL) 4-4-2
Canadiens Player of the Game
Juraj Slafkovsky - Slafkovsky received a 'battle scar' as he fought Connor Clifton with less than five minutes left in the third period and scored the game-deciding goal in a shootout.
Video Highlights
Post-game Quotes
Marty St. Louis
"The atmosphere on the bench, during the whole match, it was a match that happened in the trenches. We felt like we were in the playoffs. I liked the way we fought."
"I think [Juraj Slafkovsky] is starting to have a lot of confidence. It's the first time he scored in a shootout, it's the first time he fought. It's a few firsts for him tonight."
Juraj Slafkovsky
"It’s a good victory. No matter what my face looks like, we have to do it again tomorrow."
Up Next
The Canadiens will return to Montreal to host the Nashville Predators on Sunday night. Jake Allen is expected to start in goal.
Be sure to bookmark THN.com/Montreal for year-round coverage of the Montreal Canadiens, Laval Rocket, and Habs prospects playing in leagues around the world.
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