Zachary Bolduc scored the shootout winner as the Montreal Canadiens prevailed 4-3 over the Buffalo Sabres after blowing a two-goal lead Tuesday night.
Lane Hutson and Cole Caufield tallied a goal and an assist each as Montreal (3-2-1) won its second straight game. Josh Anderson also scored, and Juraj Slafkovsky added two assists.
Jacob Fowler made 14 saves in his third consecutive start after stopping 30 shots in Saturday’s 1-0 shutout victory over the Detroit Red Wings.
Olen Zellweger had two goals and Josh Norris also scored for Buffalo (3-3-1) as the teams met for the first time since the Canadiens eliminated the Sabres in the second round of last spring’s playoffs.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 35 shots while Beck Malenstyn and Mattias Samuelsson provided two assists apiece.
The Sabres scored twice in 61 seconds to erase a two-goal lead and tie the score 3-3 at 5:25 in the third period. Norris bounced a point shot off Canadiens defenceman Adam Engstrom before Zellweger converted his second with a wrist shot through a crowd.
Zellweger had opened the scoring on the game’s first shot when his point attempt hit Engstrom and bounced into the net 2:16 into the first period.
Hutson answered with a wrist shot past a screened Luukkonen on a five-on-three power play to tie the game at 14:28 of the first period. Caufield then one-timed a pass from Slafkovsky to give Montreal a 2-1 lead 1:19 into the second.
Hutson showcased his awe-inspiring skill again late in the second, stickhandling in from the blue line before sliding a no-look backhand pass to Anderson, who fired into the gaping net with 50 seconds remaining in the period.
Takeaways
Canadiens: Fowler, 21, got the start ahead of Jakub Dobes, who opened the season as Montreal’s No. 1 goaltender but struggled to a 1-1-1 record, a 4.43 goals-against average and an .857 save percentage. Dobes, 25, is expected to return to the crease Wednesday in Washington. The Canadiens played without defenceman Mike Matheson (lower body, day-to-day).
Sabres: Captain Rasmus Dahlin did not travel to Montreal after appearing to hurt his lower back in Monday’s 5-3 win over Florida. Zellweger, a 23-year-old from Calgary, stepped into Buffalo’s top pairing and scored his first goals since being acquired by the Sabres last summer.
Key moment
Luukkonen denied Canadiens centre Phillip Danault on the doorstep with 3.2 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime.
Key stat
Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki has registered a point in nine consecutive games against the Sabres.
Up next
Sabres: Visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.
Canadiens: Visit the Capitals on Wednesday.
