Buffalo Sabres at Montréal Canadiens
NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Montréal Canadiens on May 12, 2026. Final score: Buffalo Sabres 3, Montréal Canadiens 2.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | May 12, 2026 |
| Venue | Centre Bell |
| Series | R2 Game 4: BUF 2-2 MTL |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 3 |
| Montréal Canadiens 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 | Mattias Samuelsson | D | 1 | 0 | 2 | 23:47 | 0.72 | 2.02 |
| 2nd | Conor Timmins | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21:38 | 0.21 | 1.55 |
| 3rd | Tage Thompson | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19:14 | 0.08 | 1.45 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Buffalo Sabres–Montréal Canadiens) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 06:32 | BUF | Mattias Samuelsson | Josh Norris, Josh Doan | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 1st 10:08 | MTL | Alex Newhook | Jake Evans, Ivan Demidov | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 1st 19:47 | MTL | Cole Caufield | Juraj Slafkovský, Lane Hutson | 5v4 | 1–2 |
| 2nd 07:00 | BUF | Tage Thompson | Rasmus Dahlin | 4v5 | 2–2 |
| 3rd 04:41 | BUF | Zach Benson | Josh Doan, Tage Thompson | 4v5 | 3–2 |
Team Comparison
| Buffalo Sabres | Montréal Canadiens | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 3 | 2 |
| Shots on goal | 22 | 30 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 4.88 | 5.38 |
| High-danger shots | 13 | 16 |
| Corsi % | 37.0% | 63.0% |
| Power play | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| Faceoff % | 52.5% | 47.5% |
| Hits | 23 | 26 |
| Blocks | 27 | 6 |
| Giveaways | 14 | 15 |
| Takeaways | 6 | 2 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 23:47 | 0.72 | 2.02 |
| Conor Timmins | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21:38 | 0.21 | 1.55 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 19:14 | 0.08 | 1.45 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:47 | 0.03 | 1.33 |
| Konsta Helenius | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12:53 | 0.79 | 1.09 |
| Jason Zucker | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:14 | 0.10 | 0.96 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19:29 | 0.10 | 0.85 |
| Alex Tuch | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 21:58 | 0.92 | 0.84 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14:06 | 0.56 | 0.70 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:35 | 0.04 | 0.31 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 15:30 | 0.00 | 0.19 |
| Zach Benson | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14:21 | 0.69 | 0.12 |
| Josh Norris | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12:41 | 0.00 | -0.04 |
| Luke Schenn | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:04 | 0.00 | -0.13 |
| Jordan Greenway | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:58 | 0.00 | -0.20 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10:52 | 0.61 | -0.22 |
| Bowen Byram | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20:42 | 0.04 | -0.41 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23:43 | 0.00 | -0.79 |
Montréal Canadiens Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Newhook | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 14:26 | 1.07 | 1.22 |
| Noah Dobson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 24:09 | 0.02 | 1.15 |
| Ivan Demidov | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 18:45 | 0.62 | 0.91 |
| Cole Caufield | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 21:21 | 1.41 | 0.90 |
| Alexandre Texier | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12:59 | 0.05 | 0.72 |
| Jake Evans | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12:47 | 0.11 | 0.71 |
| Juraj Slafkovský | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 23:10 | 0.87 | 0.70 |
| Josh Anderson | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16:35 | 0.16 | 0.34 |
| Lane Hutson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 28:02 | 0.01 | 0.33 |
| Mike Matheson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 22:01 | 0.10 | 0.32 |
| Phillip Danault | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:42 | 0.06 | 0.15 |
| Zachary Bolduc | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:39 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Nick Suzuki | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 24:34 | 0.86 | -0.05 |
| Kaiden Guhle | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:16 | 0.02 | -0.24 |
| Joe Veleno | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6:42 | 0.00 | -0.40 |
| Kirby Dach | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8:51 | 0.02 | -0.45 |
| Arber Xhekaj | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3:46 | 0.00 | -0.52 |
| Alexandre Carrier | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:00 | 0.00 | -1.88 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | Buffalo Sabres | 29 | 31 | 93.3% | 3.38 | W |
| Jakub Dobes | Montréal Canadiens | 19 | 22 | 86.4% | 1.46 | L |
Analysis
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Montréal Canadiens 3–2 on May 12, 2026, a one-goal game.
Montréal Canadiens generated 5.38 expected goals to Buffalo Sabres's 4.88 — Montréal Canadiens owned the better of the chances but Buffalo Sabres took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it.
Mattias Samuelsson led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.02 on 1 goal, 2 shots on goal.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 29 of 31, worth 3.38 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Buffalo Sabres vs Montréal Canadiens game?
The Buffalo Sabres beat the Montréal Canadiens 3–2 on May 12, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Buffalo Sabres 3, Montréal Canadiens 2.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Mattias Samuelsson led all skaters at 2.02, on 1G, 0A and 2 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Montréal Canadiens generated 5.38 expected goals and Buffalo Sabres generated 4.88, so Montréal Canadiens created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Buffalo Sabres put 22 shots on goal and Montréal Canadiens put 30. High-danger chances went 13 to 16.
How did the goaltenders play?
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 29 of 31 (3.38 goals saved above expected); Jakub Dobes stopped 19 of 22 (1.46 goals saved above expected).