Caufield and Hutson Push Canadiens Past Sabres at the Bell Centre
Montréal didn’t just win; they carried the game by living in the dangerous areas and piling up pressure shifts. The chances tell the tale: the Canadiens’ looks were worth 5.14 expected goals to Buffalo’s 2.10, and it felt like it.
Cole Caufield led the charge with five shots and a goal, while Juraj Slafkovský slipped two smart feeds into Grade-A space. Lane Hutson played a massive 27:07, jumped into holes, and chipped in a goal and an assist. Add Nick Suzuki’s five shots and constant middle-lane threats, and Montréal kept stacking multi-shot sequences that forced scrambles and rebounds. They also won the shot-attempt battle by a healthy margin, which matched the eye test.
Buffalo’s box score—just 17 shots—masks how much work Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen did. He stopped 35 of 38 and posted +2.14 goals saved above expected, the reason this stayed close. On the other end, Jacob Fowler’s 14 saves on 17 shots didn’t bury Montréal; the skaters created enough to power through. No posts either—this wasn’t about iron luck.
For context: Montréal’s home form has been uneven (1-2-0), but this was their attack asserting itself. For Buffalo, without Rasmus Dahlin, the defensive structure frayed under sustained pressure despite a brave night in net.
