Buffalo Sabres at Montréal Canadiens
NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Montréal Canadiens on Oct 20, 2025. Final score: Buffalo Sabres 2, Montréal Canadiens 4.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Oct 20, 2025 |
| Venue | Centre Bell |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 2 |
| Montréal Canadiens score | 4 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Alex Newhook | C | 0 | 2 | 1 | 15:44 | 0.00 | 1.63 |
| 2nd | Nick Suzuki | C | 0 | 2 | 1 | 21:37 | 0.22 | 1.31 |
| 3rd | Jiri Kulich | C | 1 | 0 | 2 | 18:00 | 0.17 | 1.09 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Buffalo Sabres–Montréal Canadiens) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 08:29 | MTL | Oliver Kapanen | Ivan Demidov, Alex Newhook | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 2nd 06:51 | BUF | Jiri Kulich | Zach Benson | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 3rd 02:57 | MTL | Juraj Slafkovský | Noah Dobson, Nick Suzuki | 5v5 | 1–2 |
| 3rd 11:38 | MTL | Lane Hutson | Alex Newhook | 5v5 | 1–3 |
| 3rd 12:30 | BUF | Tyson Kozak | Jack Quinn, Rasmus Dahlin | 5v5 | 2–3 |
| 3rd 19:29 | MTL | Jake Evans | Nick Suzuki | 5v6 | 2–4 |
Team Comparison
| Buffalo Sabres | Montréal Canadiens | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 2 | 4 |
| Shots on goal | 32 | 32 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 3.69 | 3.11 |
| High-danger shots | 18 | 16 |
| Corsi % | 55.3% | 44.7% |
| Power play | 0/1 | 0/1 |
| Faceoff % | 43.6% | 56.4% |
| Hits | 15 | 22 |
| Blocks | 9 | 21 |
| Giveaways | 15 | 11 |
| Takeaways | 6 | 3 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jiri Kulich | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 18:00 | 0.17 | 1.09 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 21:11 | 0.76 | 1.07 |
| Tyson Kozak | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 10:59 | 0.37 | 1.02 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 26:52 | 0.42 | 0.81 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13:17 | 0.21 | 0.70 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23:07 | 0.11 | 0.67 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19:58 | 0.24 | 0.58 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:53 | 0.77 | 0.44 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:13 | 0.06 | 0.29 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 20:18 | 0.59 | 0.28 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20:08 | 0.50 | 0.15 |
| Zach Metsa | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:02 | 0.00 | 0.14 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21:17 | 0.19 | 0.10 |
| Josh Dunne | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6:35 | 0.10 | -0.03 |
| Mason Geertsen | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5:27 | 0.00 | -0.09 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:29 | 0.01 | -0.38 |
| Conor Timmins | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:47 | 0.02 | -0.41 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:35 | 0.02 | -0.74 |
Montréal Canadiens Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Newhook | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 15:44 | 0.00 | 1.63 |
| Nick Suzuki | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 21:37 | 0.22 | 1.31 |
| Noah Dobson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 20:46 | 0.07 | 1.06 |
| Juraj Slafkovský | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 17:17 | 0.46 | 0.99 |
| Ivan Demidov | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12:27 | 0.05 | 0.78 |
| Oliver Kapanen | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12:34 | 0.28 | 0.77 |
| Jake Evans | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 18:16 | 0.79 | 0.60 |
| Cole Caufield | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:48 | 0.07 | 0.45 |
| Lane Hutson | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 19:59 | 0.11 | 0.23 |
| Jayden Struble | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19:09 | 0.11 | 0.23 |
| Mike Matheson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26:30 | 0.07 | 0.23 |
| Joe Veleno | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:27 | 0.00 | 0.17 |
| Josh Anderson | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 15:55 | 0.43 | 0.06 |
| Zachary Bolduc | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11:03 | 0.16 | -0.16 |
| Alexandre Carrier | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:36 | 0.11 | -0.20 |
| Arber Xhekaj | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:08 | 0.01 | -0.24 |
| Owen Beck | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:01 | 0.03 | -0.32 |
| Brendan Gallagher | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15:46 | 0.25 | -0.88 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Lyon | Buffalo Sabres | 28 | 31 | 90.3% | -0.25 | L |
| Jakub Dobes | Montréal Canadiens | 30 | 32 | 93.8% | 2.35 | W |
Analysis
The Montréal Canadiens defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4–2 on Oct 20, 2025.
Montréal Canadiens generated 3.11 expected goals to Buffalo Sabres's 3.69 — Buffalo Sabres owned the better of the chances but Montréal Canadiens took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it.
Alex Newhook led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.63 on 2 assists, 1 shots on goal.
Jakub Dobes stopped 30 of 32, worth 2.35 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Buffalo Sabres vs Montréal Canadiens game?
The Montréal Canadiens beat the Buffalo Sabres 4–2 on Oct 20, 2025.
What was the final score?
The final score was Montréal Canadiens 4, Buffalo Sabres 2.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Alex Newhook led all skaters at 1.63, on 0G, 2A and 1 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Montréal Canadiens generated 3.11 expected goals and Buffalo Sabres generated 3.69, so Buffalo Sabres created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Buffalo Sabres put 32 shots on goal and Montréal Canadiens put 32. High-danger chances went 18 to 16.