Home-and-home series with Sabres shifts to Montreal

After locking horns at the Keybank Centre in Buffalo, New York on Saturday night, the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres will face-off at the Bell Centre to put a bow on their home and home series.

I think it's best to dive into what we're all thinking right away, and that is the Jakub Dobes - Jordan Greenway exchange. Dobes has shown a little of that fire that Patrick Roy was best known for, and his chirps towards Greenway after the 6'6" 231-pound winger got crunched behind the net. Greenway, who had a spirited exchange with Arber Xhekaj earlier in the game, got a little too close to Dobes for the Canadiens' liking, and was awarded a cross-checking penalty for his antics.

Lane Hutson had a two-assist outing, and Cole Caufield netted his 29th goal. Nick Suzuki continued his strong play, tallying his 43rd assist of the season on Caufield's tally, the first goal of the game. Christian Dvorak registered two assists, and had a solid night in the faceoff dot.

Also to note, with his 10th goal of the season, Josh Anderson became the 11th Habs player with a double digit goal total this season. A testament to the Canadiens scoring depth in their lineup. Juraj Slafkovsky didn't record a point on Saturday night, but he continued his strong play.

Suzuki learned that he was recognized as the NHL's third star of the week. The Canadiens captain scored three goals, and four assists through three games last week. Every game at this time in the season needs to be treated like a playoff game, and that should be the mentality in the Habs dressing room.

According to Stu Cowan's Tweet, Martin St. Louis and the team are buying into the mentality that they are very much in the thick of their playoffs as we speak.

Onto the game

Before puck drop, Suzuki was recognized as the Canadiens Molson Cup recipient for February, after he scored three goals, and six assists, totalling nine points through eight games last month.

The teams picked up where they left off on Saturday night, heading right for the scrum as soon as the whistle blew. Dylan Cozens tried to choke Brendan Gallagher out, and Josh Anderson pulled Cozens away from the scrum for some words. Arber Xhekaj, who will presumably challenge Jordan Greenway to a fight, has been busy shooting the puck early (three shots).

Cozens got roughed up by Anderson, and then went to the box for roughing Gallagher. Though Montreal tried to break through and put a chink in James Reimer's armour, it was nothing doing. Martin St. Louis's power play is zero for one.

Sam Lafferty seemed intent on stirring the pot in front of Samuel Montembeault, but he momentarily remembered that Xhekaj was in the vicinity. Xhekaj wants to fight, and he hasn't been coy expressing that to Greenway. His pregame outfit and the look on his face tells me that he isn't going to play quietly tonight.

For the second time tonight, the Sabres are shorthanded, after Bowen Byram got the gate for slashing Jake Evans' hand. Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin also flattened Joel Armia, who had no puck. It's getting chippy, but Xhekaj stood outside of the scrum and just watch Greenway.

Caufield came flying into the zone, and just missed trapper side top corner on Reimer. But the puck swung back around, and Suzuki made a silly pass to Caufield, who made no mistake. The Habs sharpshooter has 30 goals, and 55 points, and Suzuki's assist is his 62nd point of the year - Lane Hutson recorded an assist on the tally also, his 43rd, and 47th point of the season.

The Sabres aren't backing down, and the Habs' intensity level is cranked up to 100. It feels spirited like playoff hockey, and this arena, if any, is starving for hockey beyond April.

Alexandre Carrier is off to the box, after the Habs pulled ahead 1-0 - he received the gate for roughing Dahlin. Dahlin also received a two-minute penalty for shoving Gallagher over Montembeault. Dvorak was also given a penalty for roughing, so the Sabres are on the power play.

Suzuki, who had all the attention heading into the game with his league honour, and then Molson Cup nod, is feeling good tonight. On the penalty kill, Mike Matheson and Suzuki broke in on a shorthanded two-on-one. Matheson fed Suzuki a nice pass, and Suzuki sniped a wrister bar down on Reimer.

Buffalo leads 8-6 in shots, although they are down 2-0, and their captain continues to play over the edge. Dahlin took an interference penalty, for a careless shoulder shrug to Evans' head. Habs are back to the power play for the third time tonight.

Slafkovsky tried a cross-crease pass to Caufield sitting in his office, but Sabres defenseman Connor Klifton inadvertently put the puck into his net. Slafkovsky has 11 goals this season, Suzuki has his third point, and second assist of the game. Hutson recorded his second assist of the game, and 48th point of the season.

Buffalo head coach Lindy Ruff must be losing his marbles with all the material in his head to discuss during the intermission. I don't think that he could have drawn up a worse start for his team, who has now taken five penalties in just under 15 minutes of play. Their captain has taken two of those.

Caufield put the puck right on Suzuki's tape, but he muffed the pass. The Canadiens are struggling to enter the Sabres' zone. The second unit jumped over the boards to try and put the Canadiens up 4-0.

The Sabres came away unscathed from their fifth infraction of the game.

Reimer has surrendered three goals on eight shots by the Canadiens, but he just robbed Dvorak with his toe. it's hard to build any confidence or momentum in such a situation, but he got No. 28 pretty good.

Canadiens finish the first 20 minutes with an impeccable performance

Second Period

Caufield took an awkward spill early beside Reimer's net, but he got up and gave Jakob Bryson a good shove, before feeding Slafkovsky in the slot for a great opportunity. Reimer turned aside the shot, giving the Sabres a little spark. Though Montembeault held the fort.

I know that Buffalo and Montreal are in two different spots, but I sense that these two teams would have some heated playoff battles. Circumstances don't permit it right now, but in the future it could be a nice rivalry.

Alex Newhook got sprung off a nice feed from Patrik Laine, that started on Montembeault's paddle. Newhook came in hot, and bumped Reimer. It was rather harmless, but those are the rules, so Buffalo to the man advantage.

The Sabres pressed, but Matheson, Savard and Montembeault held the fort behind Armia and Evans.

It has been a bit of a different period in that both sides are less chippy between whistles. There is still a high level of physicality and plenty of bone crunching body checks. But quick transition plays have been at the forefront of the middle frame.

Montembeault has been the busier of the two goalies, it feels like Montreal has sat back a little and nursed their three-goal lead. Xhekaj did, however, get a breakaway, which was sprung by David Savard. You can cross that off your Bingo card.

Jayden Struble is off to the sin bin for interference, marking the Canadiens second penalty of the period. It has been an otherwise quiet period for the officials.

The Canadiens penalty kill remains unblemished through three penalty kills.

Buffalo finally broke through, Alex Tuch, and Cozens worked the give-and-go, and Tuch broke Montembeault's shutout bid.

The shot difference in the first period was just one - 9-8 Sabres, but they turned up the heat in the second period, with 14 to the Canadiens' six.

Third Period

I know the Canadiens have a two-goal lead, but Buffalo isn't going to lay down and let Montreal have their way. The Sabres dominated much of the first minute of the final frame, hemming the Habs into their zone. JJ Peterka just missed a yawning cage.

The Canadiens are chasing the puck, and that is suiting the Sabres just fine, who are working the Habs in their zone. Tage Thompson got a perfect feed on his off-wing from Peterka, and he got every bit of the 99 miles per hour one-touch slapshot. Montembeault didn't see the puck at all, and the Sabres are within one goal of the Canadiens.

After the first period, the Canadiens have coasted, and it is falling apart in front of their eyes. This Canadiens team looks different than the one from the first 20 minutes. And the one from Saturday night, is left behind with Saturday's win.

Newhook took an awful tripping penalty with 10:22 on the clock, and the Sabres have two minutes five on four to tie the game. Montreal has just two shots this period, after recording only six in the second period. Not exactly a great recipe for a win.

Slafkovsky beat Clifton in a foot race to negate the icing, and he hit Caufield with a pass that just missed the mark. Then Slafkovsky made some space for Caufield who found Suzuki with a great feed, and he had a great chance.

Montreal next sequence in the Sabres zone started with a heavy forecheck by Emil Heineman. Nothing came of it, however.

Dahlin is back in the penalty box, for the third time tonight, this time for interference against Mike Matheson. The power play comes just as the Canadiens are finally picking up a little bit of steam. It was just an awful brainfart from Dahlin.

The Canadiens are two for four on the man advantage tonight. Caufield made a pass to Slafkovsky behind the net, who found Suzuki out front, who almost gave the Habs the insurance marker.

With two minutes and change on the clock, the Sabres are pressing for the tying goal, and Reimer has been pulled for the extra attacker. I have to say, Dahlin is an interesting player, plays on the edge, and takes penalties because of it, but he tied the game for the Sabres.

3-3 with one minute remaining in regulation.

Overtime

60 minutes wasn't enough to decide the winner of the game, and honestly I think the hockey gods weren't as harsh as they could have been on the Habs. Buffalo very well could have ended the Canadiens in regulation, but Montembeault came up big, and timely shot blocks held the Canadiens in the game.

So, overtime it is to determine the winner.

1:21 into the overtime, Matheson entered the zone, and looked off a wide open Evans, instead firing a snapshot past Reimer. Suzuki has his third assist, and fourth point of the night, bringing him to 19 goals and 46 assists for 65 points in 61 games.

Matheson's fifth goal of the season robbed the Sabres of a Cinderella ending.

Three stars - Third - JJ Peterka (two assists), Second - Mike Matheson (one goal, one assist), First - Nick Suzuki (one goal, three assists).