Montreal @ Buffalo preview
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Last Meeting ( Mar 27, 2023 ) Montreal 4, Buffalo 3
Cole Caufield has been a big reason for the Montreal Canadiens' solid start to the season.
He also has fared well against the Buffalo Sabres of late.
Looking to extend his season-opening point streak to five games, Caufield also can help the visiting Canadiens prevent the Sabres from recording a winning homestand on Monday night.
Caufield has owned or shared Montreal's goal lead each of the last two seasons, totaling 49 over that span. He already has three goals in 2023-24, and none bigger than one Saturday, which came 47 seconds into overtime for a 3-2 home victory over Washington.
The Canadiens have registered five points through their first four games, while three of those games have been decided by one goal.
"We're chasing perfection knowing we'll never get there," Montreal coach Martin St. Louis said. "It's impossible to be perfect, but we're fixing this as we see them."
With a goal and an assist against the Capitals, Caufield has five points on the season. He also has two goals with two assists during a three-game point streak versus Buffalo.
The Canadiens won two of three against the Sabres last season, including both meetings at Buffalo. Montreal, though, dropped its lone road contest this season, 6-5 in overtime at Toronto to open the regular season.
Buffalo, meanwhile, opened with back-to-back defeats against the New York Rangers and New York Islanders. They rebounded to go 2-1-0 on a four-game home stretch.
Jeff Skinner had a goal with an assist and Eric Comrie made 24 saves during Saturday's 3-1 victory over those same Islanders.
Sabres coach Don Granato mixed up his lines for that contest, moving Casey Mittelstadt in between Skinner (three points in 2023-24) and Alex Tuch. He dropped struggling star Tage Thompson to center for Jordan Greenway and Dylan Cozens.
The result was two assists for Mittelstadt, who has four points on the young campaign.
"I think it's one of the great beauties of our team, wherever you're going to play you're going to play with good players," Mittelstadt said.
Like Montreal, Buffalo will try to win back-to-back games for the first time this season. It also remains uncertain if Comrie will be back following that strong outing during his 2023-24 debut on Saturday. Devon Levi (3.26 goals-against average) started the first four games for Buffalo, while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen also appears to be an option.
With 85 goals the past two seasons, the Sabres would like to get Thompson going on offense. He has a goal for his only point thus far but recorded nine in eight career games versus Montreal. Thompson posted a goal with three assists during Buffalo's 7-2 win at Montreal last season.
Jake Allen was in net that night for the Canadiens. Allen, though, made 31 saves against the Capitals in his second start of the season Saturday.
Teammate Sam Montembeault has yielded seven goals on 65 shots against in splitting his two starts of 2023-24, but stopped 43 during a 3-2 win at Buffalo in October of last season.
--Field Level Media