Buffalo Sabres vs. Montreal Canadiens Prediction, NHL Odds
The Canadiens swept their four-game season series with the Sabres last season, and have opened the new campaign on a tear, posting wins in four of their first six contests. After coming up short in their first three games of the season, the Sabres have rebounded with consecutive wins, capped by Saturday’s 3-0 victory over Florida.
The Canadiens are perched as -150 favourites on the Monday NHL odds. The Sabres trail as +125 underdogs and the total for this Atlantic Division matchup is 6.0.
Sabres vs. Canadiens NHL Betting Odds
The Canadiens recorded a pair of home victories over Buffalo last season, ending a three-game slide versus the Sabres on Bell Centre ice. With those victories, the Sabres compiled the best record in the Atlantic versus division opponents, going 18-7-1. Montreal claimed victory in two of their first three home dates, eking out one-goal wins over Seattle and Nashville, but came out on the wrong end of a hard-fought clash on Saturday night, falling 4-3 to the road warrior New York Rangers. After scoring just two total goals while opening their schedule with three decisive losses, the Sabres’ offence has found their groove, potted 11 total goals in back-to-back wins. However, consistent success has eluded the Sabres on the road, where they are winless in four, and have earned two points just four times in 19 contests since late January while being held to two or fewer goals nine times.
Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres have scored early and often during their two-game surge, potting eight total goals inside 40 minutes, and have trailed their opponents for fewer than three total minutes over that stretch. Josh Doan has provided the spark during the team’s 2-0-0 run, following up on his three-assist performance in the club’s 8-4 win over Ottawa last Wednesday with a pair of power play markers in Saturday’s 3-0 victory over the Panthers. Doan has been a steady presence in the offensive zone. The 23-year-old forward recorded six shots on Saturday, bring his season total to 18 through five games, and strengthening his value as a +120 bet to tally at least one point on Monday night. Doan joins Zach Benson atop the Sabres’ team stats. Benson has recorded five helpers to date, while veteran Jason Zucker is tops on the club with three goals.
Montreal Canadiens
The duo of Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki have led the attack for the Canadiens during their 4-2-0 start. Caufield enters Monday’s action riding a five-game point streak, during which he has scored five times including a pair of game winners. The Habs sniper also feasted on the Sabres last season, scoring four times and adding a pair assists in four games, and leads all shooters as a +135 bet on the anytime goalscorer odds. Suzuki has also cracked the scoresheet in five straight games, and picked up his first goal of the season in Saturday’s loss to the Rangers, and racked up a goal and five assists in the Sabres’ two visits to Montreal last season after being held off the scoresheet in six of his previous seven appearances versus the Sabres. However, injuries have emerged as a concern for the Habs. Defenceman Kaiden Guhle is sidelined indefinitely after suffering a lower-body injury last week versus Nashville. Forwards Patrik Laine and Kirby Dach both missed Saturday’s date with New York, and are officially listed as day-to-day.
