Buffalo Sabres vs. Montreal Canadiens: Game preview, predictions and odds | October 20, 2025

The Buffalo Sabres are on the road to play the Montreal Canadiens on Monday, October 20, at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Buffalo (2-3) is coming off a 3-0 shutout win over the Florida Panthers on Saturday. Montreal (4-2) is coming off a 4-3 loss to the New York Rangers.

Sabres vs. Canadiens: Head-to-head & key stats

• Buffalo went 0-3-1 against Montreal last season
• The Sabres are 0-1 on the road
• Montreal is allowing 3 goals per game
• Buffalo is averaging 2.6 goals per game
• The Canadiens are averaging 3.5 goals per game
• The Sabres are allowing 2.8 goals per game
• Montreal is 2-1 at home

Buffalo Sabres vs. Montreal Canadiens: Preview

Buffalo are coming off a shutout win over the Panthers on Saturday and are on a two-game winning streak. The Sabres are led by Zach Benson who has five assists, Josh Doan has two goals and three assists for five points, Rasmus Dahlin has four assists, and Tage Thompson has one goal and three asissts for four points.

The Sabres are expected to start Alex Lyon, who's 2-3 with a 2.43 GAA and a .929 SV% this season. Lyon has started every game for Buffalo and is coming off a shutout. In his career against Montreal, he's 4-2 with a 3.15 GAA and a .879 SV%.

Montreal Canadiens, meanwhile, are coming off a 4-3 home loss to the Rangers which snapped their four-game winning streak. The Canadiens will start Sam Montembeault who's 2-2 with a 3.26 GAA and a .857 SV%. In his career against Buffalo, he's 5-5 with a 3.04 GAA and a .905 SV%.

The Canadiens' offense has been off to a hot start. Montreal is led by Cole Caufield, who has five goals and three assists for eight points, Nick Suzuki has one goal and seven assists for eight points, and Brendan Gallagher has five assists.

Sabres vs. Canadiens: Odds & Prediction

Buffalo are a +130 underdog while the Montreal Canadiens are a -155 favorite, and the over/under is set at 6.5 goals. They are coming off a big shutout win over the Panthers, but this is a great spot for the Canadiens to get back on track.

Montreal Canadiens' offense is legit, as the Habs should be able to score early and get out to an early lead. The Canadiens play well at home, and the Habs' offense will be the difference in this one.

Prediction: Canadiens 4, Sabres 2.

Sabres vs. Canadiens: Betting Tips

Tip 1: Montreal ML (-155)

Tip 2: Under 6.5 goals (-130)

Tip 3: Over 1.5 goals first period (-135)