The Montreal Canadiens are in Buffalo for Game 5 of their round-two playoff series against the Sabres on Thursday. The Eastern Conference series is tied 2-2.
The puck drop at KeyBank Centre is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. The game will be shown live on ESPN.
Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres head-to-head and key stats
- The Canadiens are 3-2 against the Sabres in the last five games
- The Canadiens finished their regular season as No. 3 in goals scored in their division with 283. The Sabres finished their regular season as No. 2 with 288
- The Canadiens finished their regular season as No. 4 in goals allowed in their division with 256. The Sabres finished their regular season as No. 7 with 241
Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres game preview
The Canadiens could have had the series wrapped up by Game 4 as they sat on a 2-1 lead in the series. However, the Sabres showed sheer strength and determination against Montreal’s defensive lapses to win 3-2 on Tuesday night. The Canadiens conceded a goal in every period of the game.
As for the Sabres, they needed a push after losing 6-2 in Game 3. That’s exactly what they got as they came from 1-0 down to win Game 4. Buffalo will massively benefit from home advantage in Game 5 and take the lead.
Canadiens predicted lineup against the Sabres (subject to change)
Forwards:
Cole Caufield — Nick Suzuki — Juraj Slafkovsky
Josh Anderson — Jake Evans — Ivan Demidov
Alexandre Texier — Kirby Dach — Zachary Bolduc
Alex Newhook — Phillip Danault – Brendan Gallagher
Defensemen:
Mike Matheson — Noah Dobson
Kaiden Guhle — Jayden Struble
Alex Carrier — Lane Hutson
Goaltenders:
Jakub Dobes — Jacob Fowler
Canadiens vs. Sabres odds and prediction
Montreal is a +102 underdog, while Buffalo is a -122 favorite. The puck line is set at +1.5 for the Canadiens at -250 and the Lightning at +205. The over/under is 5.5 goals.
Score Prediction: Montreal Canadiens 2, Buffalo Sabres 3
Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres betting tips
Over/under: Take under 5.5 goals (+110)
Moneyline: Take Sabres to win (-122)
Puck line: Take Sabres to cover the -1.5 spread (+205)
Edited by R. Elahi
