Buffalo Sabres vs Montreal Canadiens Picks and Prediction for Tuesday October 13, 2026
The Buffalo Sabres will make the trip to Montreal, Quebec, Tuesday night for an Atlantic Division matchup against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. The game is scheduled to begin at 6:30 PM, with coverage available on ESPN+ and TSN2. Buffalo is 3-3 and will be playing its second game in as many days after hosting the Florida Panthers on Monday afternoon. Montreal returns home looking to establish some early-season momentum against a familiar opponent as they sit 2-2-1 this year. Montreal is listed as a -155 favorite, while the Sabres come in at +130. The total for this matchup is set at 6.5 goals. Stay ahead of the action with our NHL Picks.
Buffalo looks for a win in consecutive days
The Buffalo Sabres offense has been shaky thus far this season, averaging 2.67 goals on 26.4 shots, though they scored five goals in their win against Florida on Monday. Defensively, Buffalo has been bad, allowing 3.67 goals on just over 21 shots per game. Tage Thompson is leading the Buffalo offense this season with 7 points and four goals. Owen Power has also contributed 7 points this season and leads the team with six assists. Noah Ostlund, Rasmus Dahlin, Peyton Krebs, and Jack Quinn are all tied for third on the roster with four points apiece.
Colten Ellis had issues in the net for Buffalo on Monday, giving up two goals on nine shots to post a .778 save percentage in just over 26 minutes on the ice. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was much better, giving up one goal on 14 shots to post a .929 save percentage. Tage Thompson led the way for the Buffalo offense on Monday with one goal and one assist. Rasmus Dahlin, Noah Ostlund, and Josh Doan all chipped in as well, scoring one goal each.
Key Injury Report for Buffalo:
- Rasmus Dahlin (Out) - Oct 15
- Jason Zucker (IR) - Oct 15
- Alex Lynch (IR) - Oct 24
- Conro Timmins (IR) - Oct 17
- Topias Leinonen (IR-NR) - Oct 24
Montreal goes for 2 in a row
The Montreal Canadiens offense is averaging 2.8 goals on 26.4 shots per game this season. Defensively, Montreal has been bad, allowing 3.8 goals on 28.2 shots, but gave up only one goal in their most recent victory. Nick Suzuki leads the Montreal offense this season with seven points, three goals, and four assists. Lane Hutson and Chris Kreider are both tied for second on the roster this season with four points each. Josh Anderson and Zach Bolduc are tied for third on the roster, having scored three points this season.
Jacob Fowler was phenomenal last time out for Montreal, giving up no goals on 30 shots in nearly 65 minutes on the ice and did not allow any shots to get by him in the shootout.
Key Injury Report for Montreal:
- Florian Xhekaj (Day-To-Day) - Oct 13
- Sam Montembeault (IR) - Oct 20
- Oliver Kapanen (IR) - Oct 13
- Ivan Demidov (IR) - Oct 31
- Bryce Pickford (IR-NR) - Oct 17
Buffalo Sabres vs Montreal Canadiens Picks and Prediction
Pick: Montreal Canadiens
Montreal has an opportunity to pick up an important home victory Tuesday night against a Buffalo team playing on consecutive days. The Canadiens have plenty of offensive weapons and should be able to create consistent scoring opportunities against the Sabres. Buffalo has enough talent to keep things tight early but could have difficulty keeping pace with Montreal throughout the game. The Canadiens will need to establish their offense early and avoid allowing Buffalo to generate easy scoring chances. Montreal has the advantage of playing in front of its home crowd and should be able to use that energy to maintain pressure on the Sabres. Expect Montreal to take advantage of the tired legs and get the win at home.
Pick: Over 6.5
Buffalo and Montreal should provide plenty of offensive opportunities Tuesday night as two talented Atlantic Division teams square off. The Canadiens have a dangerous offensive group capable of creating scoring chances throughout the game, while Buffalo has enough firepower to answer with goals of its own. Montreal should be able to take advantage of a Sabres team playing its second game in as many days, especially as fatigue becomes a factor later in the contest. Buffalo will need to generate offense to remain competitive, which could lead to an open game with scoring opportunities on both ends of the ice. Neither team can afford to sit back defensively if the other establishes an early lead. Expect both offenses to find success and push this matchup over the posted total.