Buffalo Sabres vs. Montreal Canadiens Game 3 Prediction, NHL Odds

The Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Canadiens and Sabres shifts to Montreal for Game 3 on Sunday with it tied 1-1. The Habs are -122 favourites on the NHL odds (their first time as faves in the series) with a total of 5.5 goals.

Sabres vs. Canadiens NHL Betting Odds

Some interesting trends courtesy of NHL.com: When a best-of-seven series is tied 1-1, the winner of Game 3 holds an all-time series record of 248-126 (3-2 this year). A whopping 86 per cent of games this postseason entering Sunday have been close (meaning a one-goal margin or two goals with an empty netter). That is the second-highest percentage through the first 57 games of a postseason in Stanley Cup playoff history behind 90 per cent in 2024.

Also, 53 per cent of games this postseason have been tied in the third period. That’s the highest such rate since through 57 games played since 2017. Road teams are 29-28 so far. Those are the most such wins through 57 games since 2023 (34).

Buffalo was a -230 series favourite and Montreal +190 entering Game 2, but the Habs’ road win now has them as -115 favourites and the Sabres -105. That it goes seven games is the +150 leader, but both Montreal in six and Buffalo in seven are +370 co-favourites. I still like Sabres in seven.

Buffalo Sabres

Projected Montreal to win Game 2 by a score of 3-2 in Buffalo, but the Habs were much more impressive than that in a 5-1 victory. Zach Benson (third of playoffs) had the lone Buffalo goal, but it came in the second with his team down 3-0. Alex Lyon stopped 23 of 27 shots but should be back in there tonight. Maybe playing on the road is a good thing for the team. Buffalo tries to win its first four road postseason games (first three in Boston in Round 1) for the first time in franchise history. The only other time it had a streak of three such wins was 1983.

Alex Tuch can join Hall of Famer Pat LaFontaine (1992) as the second player in franchise history to score in four straight road games to start a postseason. Buffalo is 6-2 all-time in a series when it wins Game 3 in a best-of-seven when tied 1-1. The Sabres have a record of 8-8 in Game 3 of a best-of-seven series when tied 1-1. That mark is 3-2 on the road.

Montreal Canadiens

Montreal has not lost back-to-back games yet this postseason, improving to 4-0 after a loss with the Game 2 win. Those are the most wins among all teams that reached the playoffs. The franchise record is five such wins in 2010. The team’s alternating win-loss streak of nine is the longest to begin a postseason in league history. Alex Newhook was the No. 1 star of Game 2 with a pair of goals. Nick Suzuki had an empty-netter and is the first Montreal player with a three-game playoff goals streak since Shea Weber in 2020. The last Habs player with four in a row was Alex Kovalev in 2004.

Jakub Dobes was terrific with 28 saves and certainly will be in net again tonight. The 24-year-old is the third Canadiens rookie goaltender in the past 40 years to earn five or more wins in a single postseason along with Patrick Roy (15 in 1986) and Carey Price (five in 2008). Dobes is 0-4 after a win in these playoffs despite a 2.57 GAA. Montreal is 22-6 all-time in Game 3 of a best-of-seven series when tied 1-1.