Five months ago these two went to overtime in Game 7, and Montréal won it 3-2 in Buffalo to take the second round. Sabres vs Canadiens on Saturday 17 October is their second meeting since, and the second at the Bell Centre in a week.
How to watch
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Game | Buffalo Sabres at Montréal Canadiens |
| Date | Saturday 17 October 2026 |
| Puck drop | 7:00pm ET |
| Venue | Centre Bell |
| Records | Buffalo 4-3-1, Montréal 3-3-1 |
Coverage on a Saturday night can vary by region, and some areas are blacked out. Our how to watch the NHL in Canada page has the national and regional options.
Sabres vs Canadiens odds
No Canadian book had posted this game at the time of writing. Lines normally appear the night before or the morning of, and when they do they’ll be on the NHL odds page; NHL predictions has the day’s picks with prices.
They have already met once since the series, and Montréal won that too
Tuesday’s meeting at the Bell Centre went to a shootout, and the Canadiens won it 4-3. Counting the playoff series, that’s five Montréal wins in eight meetings since May.
The trouble for Montréal is in its own crease. Jakub Dobeš is at .842 and 4.63 over four starts and Jacob Fowler at .906 and 1.91 over three, and with Sam Montembeault on injured reserve there’s no third option.
At 3-3-1, the Canadiens are coming off a 5-4 loss in Washington on Wednesday in which they outshot the Capitals 30-23. Ivan Demidov is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.
How they compare
| 2025-26 | Buffalo Sabres | Montréal Canadiens |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 50-23-9 | 48-24-10 |
| Points | 109 | 106 |
| Goals for per game | 3.45 | 3.40 |
| Goals against per game | 2.93 | 3.06 |
| Power play | 19.5% | 23.1% |
| Penalty kill | 81.9% | 78.2% |
Three points separated them in the regular season, Buffalo ahead, and Montréal took the seven-game series 27-23 on aggregate. On last season’s evidence there’s very little between them.
Buffalo has nine players out and won in Toronto anyway
Buffalo is 4-3-1 after winning 5-4 in overtime in Toronto on Thursday. Jack Quinn scored twice and set up two more, including Owen Power’s winner.
Nine names are on Buffalo’s injury list, and three of them are defencemen: Rasmus Dahlin, out with an upper-body injury, and Matt Grzelcyk and Conor Timmins on injured reserve.
Two forwards are in doubt as well. Josh Norris has a concussion and was described as at risk of missing Saturday, Jiri Kulich is day to day, and Tyson Kozak would come in if Kulich can’t go. In goal, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has started five at a .854.
Montréal won the second round 4-3, clinching in overtime in Buffalo
| Date | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 18 May 2026 | Montréal 3-2 (OT) | Buffalo, Game 7 |
| 16 May 2026 | Buffalo 8-3 | Montréal |
| 14 May 2026 | Montréal 6-3 | Buffalo |
| 13 Oct 2026 | Montréal 4-3 (SO) | Montréal |
Montréal won the series 4-3, finishing it in overtime in Buffalo on 18 May. The most one-sided game of the seven went the other way, when Buffalo won Game 6 8-3 at the Bell Centre.
Montréal leads the all-time series 180 wins to 173, across more than 350 meetings.
Team news
| Club | Player | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Montréal | Ivan Demidov | Out, lower body. The club said two to four weeks when it placed him on injured reserve |
| Montréal | Sam Montembeault | Out, lower body, on injured reserve |
| Montréal | Mike Matheson | Day to day, lower body |
| Montréal | Florian Xhekaj | Day to day, undisclosed |
| Montréal | Oliver Kapanen | Out, lower body |
| Montréal | Bryce Pickford | Out, undisclosed, on injured reserve |
| Montréal | Lucas Condotta | Out, undisclosed, on injured reserve |
| Buffalo | Rasmus Dahlin | Out, upper body |
| Buffalo | Josh Norris | Day to day with a concussion, and at risk of missing this game at a minimum pending further tests |
| Buffalo | Jiri Kulich | Day to day, undisclosed. Tyson Kozak would come in if he and Norris are both out |
| Buffalo | Matt Grzelcyk | Out, lower body. He has not played since opening night |
| Buffalo | Conor Timmins | Out, lower body, on injured reserve |
| Buffalo | Jason Zucker | Out, abdomen. The coach said he needs a couple more weeks after sports hernia surgery |
| Buffalo | Alex Lyon | Out, upper body. He was due to start in Montréal on 13 October before the setback |
Buffalo won in Toronto on Thursday without Dahlin and two other defencemen, and it may lose two forwards at the morning skate. Doing it again at the Bell Centre two nights later is a harder job. Injuries for every club are on our NHL injury report.
Players to watch
Jack Quinn, Buffalo. Two goals and two assists in Toronto on Thursday, including the pass for the overtime winner.
Jacob Fowler, Montréal. A .906 and 1.91 across three starts, against Dobeš’s .842. Montréal’s biggest decision on Saturday is which of them starts.
Nick Suzuki, Montréal. He scored the power-play goal that made it a one-goal game in Washington with 1:39 left.
Score prediction
Montréal Canadiens 4-3 Buffalo Sabres. Montréal is at home and Buffalo is missing Dahlin and much of its back end, and these two rarely play low-scoring games.
Sabres vs Canadiens prediction
Montréal is our side. It has won five of eight meetings since May and it’s at home, while Buffalo has nine names on its injury list, Dahlin among them, and played overtime in Toronto two nights earlier.
Buffalo keeps finding ways to win with a depleted lineup, and Montréal’s goaltending has been the weaker of the two. Our lean: Montréal, and the over if the total sits at 6.5 or lower. The last four meetings produced 9, 11, 5 and 7 goals. Both clubs are ranked on our NHL power rankings, and the rest of the night’s games are on the NHL schedule.
Puck drop is 7:00pm ET on Saturday 17 October 2026 at the Bell Centre in Montréal.
Montréal won it 4-3 in the second round, clinching with a 3-2 overtime win in Buffalo in Game 7 on 18 May 2026.
No. He is out with an upper-body injury, one of nine Buffalo players unavailable.
Jakub Dobeš and Jacob Fowler have split the starts, with Fowler at a .906 and Dobeš at a .842. Sam Montembeault is on injured reserve.
Montréal to win 4-3, and the over if the total sits at 6.5 or lower.
19+ (18+ in AB, MB and QC). Picks are opinion, not advice, and odds change constantly. Availability varies by province. Please play responsibly. ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600 for Ontario residents; see your province’s helpline for resources elsewhere.