Jeff Skinner, Tage Thompson help Sabres beat Canadiens

Jeff Skinner had a goal and three assists to help the visiting Buffalo Sabres to a 6-1 win against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.

Tage Thompson had two goal and one assist, while Casey Mittelstadt, Jack Quinn and Rasmus Dahlin each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres. Devon Levi, a Montreal native, made 32 saves in his first game in his hometown.

Joel Armia scored and Jake Allen made 32 saves for the Canadiens, who have lost four of their past five games.

Levi had to be sharp early as Brendan Gallagher got a chance in tight just over a minute into the first period.

A few minutes later, JJ Peterka came close for Buffalo when he drove up the left wing and hit the far post.

Levi again stood tall near the midpoint of the period when Jesse Ylonen got a few whacks at the puck in tight. Officials reviewed the play to confirm that the puck stayed out of the net.

Montreal appeared to open the scoring just over two minutes into the second period when Armia's shot from the high slot beat Levi. But Buffalo challenged for goaltender interference and the call on the ice was overturned after video review.

Casey Mittelstadt got the Sabres on the board a few minutes later on the power play. Skinner, sent a quick cross-crease pass from the goal line to Mittelstadt on the back door for a 1-0 lead at 5:33.

Skinner made it 2-0 with another power-play tally at 6:59. Tuch took a feed from Thompson at the goal line and wasted no time in feeding Skinner below the right circle for a sharp angle shot that beat Allen high.

Armia connected short-handed at 13:19 to cut it to 2-1. The winger forced Dahlin into a turnover and then used the defenseman as a screen to score far side from the left circle.

Jack Quinn's shot from the slot went off the post and in to push Buffalo's lead to 3-1 at 6:45 of the third period, and Thompson slid the puck past a sprawled Allen to extend it to 4-1 at 8:35.

Dahlin scored an empty-net goal at 14:31 to make it 5-1.

Thompson made it 6-1 on a 2-on-1 rush at 18:32

—Field Level Media