- Cole Caufield scored twice, including the overtime winner 54 seconds in, as the Canadiens beat the Sabres 4-3
- Buffalo missed the net on a 3-on-1 before Caufield went the other way on a breakaway
- Read below for the Mr. Saturday Night nickname and how Montreal blew a 3-1 lead before winning it
Cole Caufield lived up to the nickname on Saturday night.
The Canadiens winger scored twice at the Bell Centre, including the overtime winner 54 seconds into the extra period, and Montreal beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-3. It was the second win over Buffalo in five days for the Canadiens, who took the first one in a shootout on Tuesday.
Buffalo had the first chance to end it. The Sabres got an odd-man rush and missed the net, the puck came off the boards, and Caufield chased it down at the blue line. He skated in alone and beat Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen over the blocker-side shoulder.
Watch Caufield break in and finish it:
There’s a reason he carries the Mr. Saturday Night tag, according to the Canadiens’ game recap. Caufield has 11 goals in his last 10 games against Buffalo, and he now has five goals through eight games this season. He also scored overtime winners in two preseason games.
His first goal came at 14:01 of the first period. Juraj Slafkovsky sent a pass from behind the net, and Caufield beat Luukkonen from a tight angle to make it 2-1.
Take a look at the goal:
Montreal stretched the lead to 3-1 when Alexandre Texier scored his first of the season in the second period. Buffalo wouldn’t go away. Jack Quinn scored the Sabres’ first short-handed goal of the year to make it 3-2, and Tage Thompson tied it 3-3 in the third on a backdoor pass from Josh Doan.
Caufield took a shot of his own in the second period, when Zach Benson was called for elbowing him and handed Montreal a two-man advantage. Catch the hit:
The Canadiens only got one shot on goal during that 45-second 5-on-3, but Jacob Fowler made 23 saves to keep it close and Nick Suzuki extended his point streak against Buffalo to 10 games with an assist on Zachary Bolduc’s power-play goal. Slafkovsky and Alexandre Carrier each added two assists.
Montreal improved to 4-3-1 and has won three of its last four. Buffalo fell to 4-3-2 despite 30 saves from Luukkonen. The Canadiens host the San Jose Sharks at the Bell Centre on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
