Canadiens extend one streak, end another with win over Sabres

Field Level Media|published: Sat 31st January, 22:06 2026

NHL: Montreal Canadiens at Buffalo Sabres

Jan 31, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres right wing Jack Quinn (22) watches as Montréal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki (14) skates with the puck during the first period at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

Cole Caufield scored two third-period goals and Jakub Dobes totaled 36 saves as the Montreal Canadiens earned a 4-2 road victory over the rival Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.

The victory gave the Canadiens their third consecutive win, while the Sabres saw their own five-game win streak come to an end.

Alex Lyon saw his franchise-record 10-game win streak snap in a 27-save performance, with Owen Power and Noah Ostlund providing the scoring for the Sabres.

Juraj Slafkovsky and Oliver Kapanen also scored for the Canadiens.

Caufield tied up the contest with just over 15:46 left in the third as the Canadiens' top goal scorer took a slick pass from Noah Dobson and redirected it past Lyon to make it 2-2.

Caufield then buried his second of the night and 32nd of the season with 9:47 left in the game as he took a redirected pass from Nick Suzuki and slotted it into the back of the net for the game-winning goal.

Slafkovsky struck first for the Canadiens with a power-play goal. Caufield dealt a short pass to Suzuki, who found the Slovakian sniper out front and he made no mistake as he sent his one-timed shot into the top corner with 8:40 left in the opening frame.

Lane Hutson teed up Ivan Demidov with a golden power-play opportunity and the young forward unleashed a slap shot that Lyon squeezed tightly to his body to keep it 1-0 with 26 seconds remaining in the first.

Power knotted things up 7:36 into the second period as he took a pass from Tage Thompson in the bumper spot and fired it into the back of the net with a delayed penalty on the way.

Jack Quinn took a pass on a three-on-two and fired a slap shot toward the net that rang the post with 9:09 left in the second.

Ostlund was handed a pass from behind the net and fired it into the back of the net for a lead-taking power-play marker with 1:02 remaining in the second period.

The Sabres were gifted a late power-play opportunity with 3:36 left in the third, but Thompson found the iron with Buffalo's last-gasp effort.

Kapanen put a bow on the night with an empty-net goal in the final minute.

--Field Level Media

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