Canadiens Face Sabres in Rematch After Playoff Elimination

Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres renewed their rivalry at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, in their first meeting since a seven-game playoff series last season. Montreal eliminated Buffalo in the second round, and both teams entered the matchup seeking greater consistency early in the 2026-27 NHL season.

According to team statistics published by TSN and Yahoo Sports, Buffalo entered the game with a 3-3-0 record and six points, while Montreal stood at 2-2-1 with five points. The Sabres had moved ahead of the Canadiens in the Atlantic Division after defeating the Florida Panthers 5-3 on Monday.

The teams split their four regular-season meetings last season, winning once at home and once on the road. Both scored 13 goals across those games, according to The Hockey News, underscoring how evenly matched the clubs were before their postseason encounter.

Montreal advanced from last season's playoff series with an overtime victory by Alex Newhook in Game 7. Buffalo outshot the Canadiens 39-25 in that deciding game but failed to prevent elimination, giving the rematch additional significance for the returning Sabres.

Buffalo's early-season defensive numbers remained a concern, with 22 goals conceded in six games, while Montreal had allowed 19 in five. The Canadiens had scored 15 goals, compared with Buffalo's 16, according to the season preview published by The Hockey News and Habs Eyes on the Prize.

Owen Power led Buffalo's defensemen with seven points through six games, recording one goal and six assists. Yahoo Sports reported that he averaged 26:07 of ice time per game, ranking seventh among NHL skaters. A point against Montreal would give him at least eight through his first seven games, a milestone last achieved by a Sabres defenseman when Rasmus Dahlin recorded eight or more points in his opening seven games in October 2022.

Tage Thompson also remained a major offensive threat against Montreal, with 23 points from 20 career games against the Canadiens, including seven points in his previous three meetings. Nick Suzuki led Montreal with seven points through five games, while Lane Hutson had four assists over the same span, according to Yahoo Sports.

Buffalo faced additional uncertainty on defense after Dahlin sustained an injury during Sunday's game and was unlikely to travel to Montreal, according to Habs Eyes on the Prize. The Sabres had also traded Bowen Byram to the Chicago Blackhawks during the offseason, leaving them without two defensemen from the group Montreal faced in last season's playoffs.

Goaltending was another concern for Buffalo. The Hockey News reported that Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had a 4.02 goals-against average and a .782 save percentage, while Colten Ellis had a 2.91 goals-against average and an .880 save percentage. Alex Lyon remained day-to-day after a preseason injury and had yet to make his season debut.

Montreal planned to start Jacob Fowler against Buffalo, with head coach Martin St-Louis confirming that Jakub Dobes would play the following day. Fowler had a 1.46 goals-against average and a .938 save percentage after his first two appearances, according to The Hockey News. Dobes had recorded a 3-0-0 career regular-season record against the Sabres, with a 2.00 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage.

Special teams presented another challenge for both clubs. Montreal had scored once on 17 power-play opportunities, a 5.9% conversion rate, while Buffalo had converted 13.6% of its chances, according to Habs Eyes on the Prize. Both teams were also struggling on the penalty kill, with Buffalo's rate listed at 60.0% and Montreal's at 76.2%.

The Sabres had scored on three of their previous eight power plays, including at least one power-play goal in each of their last two games, according to Yahoo Sports. Another successful opportunity against Montreal would extend that streak to three consecutive games, a run Buffalo last achieved between January 27 and February 5, 2026.

The matchup opened a week in which the Canadiens and Sabres were scheduled to meet again in Montreal on Saturday. The two games represented half of their four-game regular-season series for 2026-27, giving both Atlantic Division teams an early opportunity to gain ground in the standings.