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Canadiens @ Sabres Top Six Minutes: The losing ends with a 7-5 win

The Canadiens overcome a deficit to halt the losing streak.

Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

First period

  • The energy level is high for the Canadiens to start this game, and that’s a good sign, especially in an afternoon game.
  • Josh Anderson gets sent in on a breakaway by Christian Dvorak, and is able to put the puck in the net. A big goal for Anderson.
  • The Sabres immediately reply with a goal from Tage Thompson as he shrugs off the much smaller Cole Caufield. Not exactly the player you want as your last line of defence.
  • Hutson did very well to keep up with Peyton Krebs and deny another drive to the net for the Sabres. He needed to make that play after an intercepted pass in the neutral zone.
  • The fourth line of Emil Heineman, Lucas Condotta, and Joel Armia has looked good to start, with a couple of effective offensive-zone shifts.
  • We’ve already seen the defence pairings altered from the start of the game. You have to think the constant changes to who you’re playing with is part of the issue on defence for the team.
  • Arber Xhekaj gets called for high sticking, but it doesn’t look like his stick made any contact as he took his man down in the corner.
  • The penalty kill is, yet again, the best defence the Canadiens play in the period, and they almost get a chance of their own from Joel Armia.
  • A nice shift from the Evans line leads to a couple of shots. That switch is looking like a good one for Caufield so far.
  • That penalty kill gave the Habs some good momentum.
  • A very good end to the period, similar to how they looked in the first six minutes or so versus the Maple Leafs.

Second period

  • Christian Dvorak thinks a blind backhand flip pass in his own zone if what the situation calls for, and it’s right on the tape of a Sabres defenceman. For a rare time, this glaring mistake doesn’t result in a goal against.
  • Caufield draws a penalty getting tripped in his own zone. Another benefit to trying to play the puck out of the zone in a controlled fashion rather than flipping it down the ice.
  • Lane Hutson almost scored on the delayed penalty. He’s going to score four the night the gets his first.
  • The Sabres are about to get another penalty as Bowen Byram whacks the puck out of the air and over the glass.
  • Hutson sets up Caufield with a cross-crease pass, but Luukkonen makes the save.
  • Hutson stays on the ice with the top forwards, and it’s a goal for Caufield. He keeps pace with Thompson (and Nikita Kucherov, Sam Reinhart, and William Nylander) with is 11th of the season.
https://twitter.com/DrakeMT/status/1856045237740708061
  • And again the lead is gone less than a minute later. Dylan Cozens ties the game 19 seconds after the Caufield goal.
  • Peyton Krebs makes it 3-2. A bad change by Montreal and momentum has suddenly swung completely in Buffalo’s favour.
  • Tempers flare as Luukkonen gets bumped in the crease, and Zach Benson and Juraj Slafkovský rough each other up a bit.
  • Suzuki tries to get in Dahlin’s way on a breakout, but ends up tripping him as the Sabres captain attempts a spinorama. That will be a Sabres power play.
  • Montreal gets another power play. Does Hutson come back out to start?
  • No.
  • Dach gets a hard cross-check in the back, and that’s another Habs power play.
  • A very nice passing play from Dach to Slafkovsky to Suzuki ends with the captain firing the puck off the post and in.
https://twitter.com/DrakeMT/status/1856052607992623110
  • That’s the Juraj Slafkovský we saw last season. He forces his way through his man to get to the puck, spinning around him to get to the puck first, and sets up Suzuki for his second goal in 22 seconds.
https://twitter.com/DrakeMT/status/1856052861702135899
  • The Sabres threaten to make another quick response, but the Canadiens get saved by the horn.
  • Montreal is outshooting the Sabres 18-12, and about half of those Sabres shots have come in the scrambly moments after Habs goals. In general, it’s a very strong effort from the Canadiens today.

Third period

  • Devon Levi is in the Buffalo net to start the period. The Sabres, have now seen Luukkonen, Thompson, and defenceman Mattias Samuelsson leave the game. Are they dealing with some type of illness?
  • Jayden Struble goes to the box early for shooting the puck out of play.
  • Primeau reads the play well and makes a good save on a three-way passing play.
  • He can’t stop Dahlin’s point shot, and the game is tied again.
  • Hutson joins the rush with the Evans line, but has his stick tied up to prevent a back-door tap-in.
  • Matheson and Kaiden Guhle get stuck both trying to defend the right side of the ice. J.J. Peterka gets around Matheson, and Primeau can’t close down the five-hold, the only spot Peterka could have possibly scored with a backhand flick.
  • Matheson hasn’t had a good afternoon.
  • Samuel Montembeault comes into the game.
  • Anderson is called for high-sticking. Another one that didn’t actually make contact.
  • Hutson isn’t just going to stand around and let the time drain off the clock. He jumps up to steal the puck on the boards on the forecheck, then sets up Heineman’s goal moments later to tie the game at five.
https://twitter.com/DrakeMT/status/1856062910792962304
  • Now Montreal goes to the power play on a elbowing call. Hutson better be on the ice when this commercial break ends.
  • It’s Matheson.
  • Caufield takes sole possession of the league’s goal-scoring race off another great pass from Slafkovský.
  • Slafkovský is officially back.
  • The Sabres review for a glove pass. The puck had hit the back of Matheson’s glove, but that’s not a pass. The goal counts, and Montreal is right back on the power play.
  • A flurry to end the power play sees chances for both Hutson and Guhle, but the puck stays out. Montreal really wants that seventh goal.
  • The linesman misses an offside, but all the players knew it, and the Sabres decide to just tag up rather than score a goal that just gets overturned. That drains several seconds off the clock.
  • Levi goes to the bench with 100 seconds to play.
  • Nick Suzuki gets tripped up on a breakaway with the net empty. That should have been a awarded goal to the captain for his hat trick, but in any case, Montreal scores to make it 7-5.
  • The losing streak if over. Montreal gets the win, and will launch a lobby for more afternoon games.

EOTP 3 Stars

3) Not the best game from the officials

2) Some really questionable calls against The Sheriff lately

1) They looked more like the Habs who ended last season today

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