Montréal Canadiens at Buffalo Sabres
NHL game between the Montréal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres on Jan 31, 2026. Final score: Montréal Canadiens 4, Buffalo Sabres 2.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Jan 31, 2026 |
| Venue | KeyBank Center |
| Montréal Canadiens score | 4 |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 2 |
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 | Cole Caufield | R | 2 | 1 | 5 | 15:39 | 0.50 | 2.34 |
| 2nd | Nick Suzuki | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 18:52 | 0.04 | 1.38 |
| 3rd | Noah Dobson | D | 0 | 2 | 4 | 20:32 | 0.17 | 1.28 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Montréal Canadiens–Buffalo Sabres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 11:20 | MTL | Juraj Slafkovský | Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield | 4v5 | 1–0 |
| 2nd 07:36 | BUF | Owen Power | Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin | 6v5 | 1–1 |
| 2nd 18:58 | BUF | Noah Ostlund | Alex Tuch, Bowen Byram | 5v4 | 1–2 |
| 3rd 04:14 | MTL | Cole Caufield | Noah Dobson, Lane Hutson | 5v5 | 2–2 |
| 3rd 10:13 | MTL | Cole Caufield | Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach | 5v5 | 3–2 |
| 3rd 19:12 | MTL | Oliver Kapanen | Noah Dobson | 6v5 | 4–2 |
Team Comparison
| Montréal Canadiens | Buffalo Sabres | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 4 | 2 |
| Shots on goal | 31 | 38 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 4.30 | 4.83 |
| High-danger shots | 12 | 28 |
| Corsi % | 40.8% | 59.2% |
| Power play | 1/3 | 1/4 |
| Faceoff % | 70.2% | 29.8% |
| Hits | 29 | 24 |
| Blocks | 20 | 7 |
| Giveaways | 13 | 16 |
| Takeaways | 5 | 4 |
Montréal Canadiens Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cole Caufield | R | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 15:39 | 0.50 | 2.34 |
| Nick Suzuki | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 18:52 | 0.04 | 1.38 |
| Noah Dobson | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 20:32 | 0.17 | 1.28 |
| Juraj Slafkovský | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 17:26 | 0.62 | 0.85 |
| Oliver Kapanen | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 17:28 | 0.89 | 0.85 |
| Kirby Dach | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12:29 | 0.06 | 0.59 |
| Lane Hutson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 20:10 | 0.80 | 0.49 |
| Brendan Gallagher | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:18 | 0.00 | 0.25 |
| Kaiden Guhle | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19:29 | 0.01 | 0.25 |
| Josh Anderson | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:11 | 0.00 | 0.15 |
| Joe Veleno | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:33 | 0.00 | 0.15 |
| Mike Matheson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 27:33 | 0.26 | 0.15 |
| Arber Xhekaj | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:09 | 0.00 | 0.15 |
| Alexandre Carrier | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20:28 | 0.01 | 0.05 |
| Phillip Danault | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:13 | 0.22 | 0.05 |
| Zachary Bolduc | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:10 | 0.07 | 0.00 |
| Ivan Demidov | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16:49 | 0.36 | 0.00 |
| Jake Evans | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:33 | 0.22 | -0.05 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owen Power | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 24:00 | 1.27 | 0.85 |
| Noah Ostlund | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 13:18 | 0.14 | 0.70 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 22:29 | 0.67 | 0.69 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 26:03 | 0.15 | 0.69 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 22:21 | 0.27 | 0.54 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 20:19 | 0.12 | 0.54 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21:48 | 0.17 | 0.35 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8:46 | 0.03 | 0.20 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17:22 | 1.14 | 0.10 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 18:40 | 0.61 | 0.10 |
| Michael Kesselring | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:53 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:38 | 0.19 | 0.05 |
| Tyson Kozak | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6:49 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17:28 | 0.50 | 0.00 |
| Konsta Helenius | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9:54 | 0.16 | 0.00 |
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20:45 | 0.29 | 0.00 |
| Zach Metsa | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:46 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:38 | 0.15 | -0.35 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jakub Dobes | Montréal Canadiens | 36 | 38 | 94.7% | 2.69 | W |
| Alex Lyon | Buffalo Sabres | 27 | 30 | 90.0% | 0.04 | L |
Analysis
The Montréal Canadiens defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4–2 on Jan 31, 2026.
Buffalo Sabres generated 4.83 expected goals to Montréal Canadiens's 4.3 — 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.
Cole Caufield led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.34 on 2 goals, 1 assist, 5 shots on goal.
Jakub Dobes stopped 36 of 38, worth 2.69 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Montréal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres game?
The Montréal Canadiens beat the Buffalo Sabres 4–2 on Jan 31, 2026.
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 — Cole Caufield led all skaters at 2.34, on 2G, 1A and 5 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Buffalo Sabres generated 4.83 expected goals and Montréal Canadiens generated 4.3, so Buffalo Sabres created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Montréal Canadiens put 31 shots on goal and Buffalo Sabres put 38. High-danger chances went 12 to 28.
How did the goaltenders play?
Jakub Dobes stopped 36 of 38 (2.69 goals saved above expected); Alex Lyon stopped 27 of 30 (0.04 goals saved above expected).