Buffalo Sabres at Montréal Canadiens
NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Montréal Canadiens on Oct 17, 2026. Final score: Buffalo Sabres 3, Montréal Canadiens 4.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Oct 17, 2026 |
| Venue | Centre Bell |
| Buffalo Sabres score | 3 |
| 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 | Cole Caufield | R | 2 | 0 | 5 | 18:03 | 0.91 | 2.26 |
| 2nd | Juraj Slafkovský | L | 0 | 2 | 1 | 17:51 | 0.29 | 1.83 |
| 3rd | Alexandre Carrier | D | 0 | 2 | 1 | 22:08 | 0.03 | 1.80 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Buffalo Sabres–Montréal Canadiens) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 08:21 | BUF | Josh Norris | Konsta Helenius | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 1st 11:45 | MTL | Zachary Bolduc | Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovský | 5v4 | 1–1 |
| 1st 14:01 | MTL | Cole Caufield | Juraj Slafkovský, Alexandre Carrier | 5v5 | 1–2 |
| 2nd 07:39 | MTL | Alexandre Texier | Kaiden Guhle, Alexandre Carrier | 5v5 | 1–3 |
| 2nd 09:52 | BUF | Jack Quinn | Zach Benson, Mattias Samuelsson | 5v4 | 2–3 |
| 3rd 10:12 | BUF | Tage Thompson | Josh Doan, Jiri Kulich | 5v5 | 3–3 |
| OT 00:54 | MTL | Cole Caufield | — | 3v3 | 3–4 |
Team Comparison
| Buffalo Sabres | Montréal Canadiens | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 3 | 4 |
| Shots on goal | 26 | 34 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 3.68 | 3.96 |
| High-danger shots | 22 | 29 |
| Corsi % | 44.6% | 55.4% |
| Power play | 0/4 | 1/5 |
| Faceoff % | 36.8% | 63.2% |
| Hits | 18 | 20 |
| Blocks | 17 | 13 |
| Giveaways | 18 | 9 |
| Takeaways | 7 | 3 |
Buffalo Sabres Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zach Benson | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 21:17 | 0.70 | 1.31 |
| Jiri Kulich | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 13:00 | 0.09 | 1.31 |
| Mattias Samuelsson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 26:59 | 0.07 | 1.23 |
| Josh Norris | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 14:30 | 0.91 | 1.06 |
| Jack Quinn | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 21:30 | 0.49 | 0.86 |
| Konsta Helenius | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9:11 | 0.14 | 0.73 |
| Olen Zellweger | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 20:47 | 0.23 | 0.62 |
| Tage Thompson | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 19:19 | 0.64 | 0.38 |
| Beck Malenstyn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:12 | 0.00 | 0.37 |
| Owen Power | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 27:39 | 0.12 | 0.19 |
| Josh Doan | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15:14 | 0.13 | 0.13 |
| Justin Danforth | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:34 | 0.00 | 0.12 |
| Zach Metsa | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:57 | 0.03 | 0.12 |
| Peyton Krebs | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:04 | 0.00 | 0.12 |
| Noah Ostlund | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:44 | 0.15 | -0.24 |
| Dennis Gilbert | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:31 | 0.00 | -0.57 |
| Louis Crevier | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:12 | 0.00 | -0.67 |
| Ryan McLeod | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:35 | 0.00 | -0.95 |
Montréal Canadiens Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cole Caufield | R | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 18:03 | 0.91 | 2.26 |
| Juraj Slafkovský | L | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 17:51 | 0.29 | 1.83 |
| Alexandre Carrier | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 22:08 | 0.03 | 1.80 |
| Nick Suzuki | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 20:49 | 0.67 | 1.78 |
| Zachary Bolduc | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 14:48 | 0.54 | 1.09 |
| Alexandre Texier | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 11:29 | 0.22 | 0.99 |
| Kaiden Guhle | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 23:21 | 0.00 | 0.84 |
| Phillip Danault | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:06 | 0.05 | 0.56 |
| Lane Hutson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 26:38 | 0.19 | 0.11 |
| David Reinbacher | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:09 | 0.02 | 0.05 |
| Arber Xhekaj | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:29 | 0.03 | 0.03 |
| Chris Kreider | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14:06 | 0.09 | -0.16 |
| Noah Dobson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 21:16 | 0.24 | -0.22 |
| Josh Anderson | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14:22 | 0.13 | -0.24 |
| Alex Newhook | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:21 | 0.31 | -0.24 |
| Kirby Dach | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:37 | 0.06 | -0.41 |
| Oliver Kapanen | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11:40 | 0.20 | -0.46 |
| Jake Evans | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:29 | 0.00 | -0.48 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | Buffalo Sabres | 30 | 34 | 88.2% | 0.22 | O |
| Jacob Fowler | Montréal Canadiens | 23 | 26 | 88.5% | 0.87 | W |
Analysis
The Montréal Canadiens defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4–3 on Oct 17, 2026, a one-goal game.
Montréal Canadiens generated 3.96 expected goals to Buffalo Sabres's 3.68 — Montréal Canadiens edged the chance share as well as the scoreline; by expected goals it was close to a coin flip.
Cole Caufield led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.26 on 2 goals, 5 shots on goal.
Jacob Fowler stopped 23 of 26, worth 0.87 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Buffalo Sabres vs Montréal Canadiens game?
The Montréal Canadiens beat the Buffalo Sabres 4–3 on Oct 17, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Montréal Canadiens 4, Buffalo Sabres 3.
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 2.26, on 2G, 0A and 5 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Montréal Canadiens generated 3.96 expected goals and Buffalo Sabres generated 3.68, so Montréal Canadiens created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Buffalo Sabres put 26 shots on goal and Montréal Canadiens put 34. High-danger chances went 22 to 29.