| Moneyline Pick | Montreal Canadiens |
| Player Prop | Tage Thompson over 0.5 goals |
| Same Game Parlay | Over 4.5 total goals + Tage Thompson over 0.5 goals + Lane Hutson over 0.5 assists |
| Check Live Odds | |
Buffalo Sabres vs Montreal Canadiens Main Match Info
- Date and Time: Thursday, January 22, 2026, 7 PM EST
- Arena: Centre Bell
- Location: Montreal, Canada
- Last match: Montreal Canadiens 3:5 Buffalo Sabres (January 15, 2026, 2025-26 NHL regular season)
Buffalo Sabres vs Montreal Canadiens Moneyline Prediction
- Moneyline Pick: Montreal Canadiens
The Sabres ended their brief two-game losing skid with a 5-3 victory over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday. They’ve been a bit inconsistent of late and have won three of their last six outings (W3, L2, OT1), though the losses have been expected.
Beating the teams they’re supposed to beat is a good way to maintain their position in the standings, but this matchup comes on the road here, which might make things a bit more complicated.
The Canadiens are coming off a victory as well, and their 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild should act as a huge confidence boost for the Canadian franchise.
Jamais douté
Never a doubt#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/M0pJvBZz3y
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) January 21, 2026
However, just like the Sabres, Montreal have also gone W3, L2, OT1 over their last six encounters. One of those defeats came against Buffalo earlier this month, so they’ll be looking to avenge that defeat here.
This is going to be a clash between two top-10 offences, with the Canadiens ranking third in goals per game (3.40) and the Sabres sitting in 10th place in the same metric (3.27).
There isn’t much separating both teams at the moment, but Montreal benefit from home ice, and that could prove to be the difference maker against a Buffalo side playing a third consecutive fixture on the road.
Buffalo Sabres vs Montreal Canadiens Player Prop
- Prop Bet: Tage Thompson over 0.5 goals
Even though the Canadiens are favoured to win, expect Tage Thompson to find a way to leave his mark in this matchup. The star centre leads the Sabres in scoring this season with 51 points (26 goals, 25 assists) in 49 contests so far in 2025-26.
Thompson has also been on a tear with nine points over his last five appearances.
He has four goals and five helpers over that stretch, and with the Canadiens ranking 23rd in goals allowed per game (3.26), it wouldn’t be surprising if Thompson finds the back of the net once again.
Buffalo Sabres vs Montreal Canadiens Same Game Parlay
- SGP: Over 4.5 total goals + Tage Thompson over 0.5 goals + Lane Hutson over 0.5 assists
Our three-leg parlay suggests that this clash should be a relatively high-scoring affair. Aside from the fact that these two teams rank in the bottom 10 in goals allowed per game, they’ve also been constantly involved in goal-heavy contests.
Four of Montreal’s last five, as well as nine of Buffalo’s last 10, have produced at least five total goals.
TAGE IS HEADED TO THE OLYMPICS 🚨🇺🇸
Tage Thompson has been named to the US Olympic Men’s Hockey Team, per @emilymkaplan pic.twitter.com/A5udVexjF6
— The Sabre Report (@TheSabreReport) December 31, 2025
If there are goals, expect Tage Thompson to find a way to score for a prolific Sabres offence. The star centre netted a goal against Nashville on Tuesday, but he also recorded five points (three goals, two assists) in his last head-to-head meeting against Montreal.
Last but not least, Lane Hutson should be involved on offence in some capacity for the Canadiens. The star blueliner has been excellent as a playmaker of late, with seven assists over his last five games, and he should remain heavily involved in the final third for Montreal.
Buffalo Sabres vs Montreal Canadiens Team News
Buffalo Sabres Team News
The Sabres are uncertain whether Michael Kesselring will be available, as he’s day-to-day due to an ankle injury, though the issue isn’t believed to be serious. Kesselring hasn’t recorded a point this season, so his absence shouldn’t impact the team’s offensive quality.
The list of players ruled out for this matchup is a bit extensive. It includes forwards Justin Danforth (lower body), Josh Dunne (undisclosed), Jiri Kulich (ear), and Josh Norris (ribs), as well as blueliner Conor Timmins (leg). Except for Norris, all of them are expected to return to the ice at some point in February.
Montreal Canadiens Team News
The Canadiens are close to full strength, with the two confirmed absentees, Patrik Laine (abdomen) and Alex Newhook (ankle), sidelined with long-term injuries. Both players are expected to return after the Olympic break, and both still have a shot at returning to action before the end of the regular season.
Alexandre Texier is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury, and a decision on his status will be made closer to Thursday’s opening faceoff. Texier has registered seven goals, 16 points, 46 shots, 25 hits, and a plus-7 rating over 27 appearances this season.
Buffalo Sabres vs Montreal Canadiens: Where to Watch (Canada)
- Watch on RDS and TSN2 (Montreal Canadiens broadcast), NHL Centre Ice
- Stream on Sportsnet+
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Juan Pablo Aravena