The Buffalo Sabres host the Montreal Canadiens for Game 2 of their second-round series in the 2026 NHL playoffs on Friday. The Sabres claimed Game 1 by a 4-2 final, with goals from Josh Doan, Ryan McLeod, Jordan Greenway and Bowen Byram. The teams split four regular-season matchups this season.
Puck drop: 7 p.m. ET from KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y.
Canadiens vs. Sabres odds
Buffalo is the -136 favorite on the money line. The over/under for total goals scored is 5.5.
Top Canadiens vs. Sabres predictions
After 10,000 simulations of Sabres vs. Canadiens, SportsLine's model is going Over on the total (5.5). These teams combined for six goals in Game 1, marking the ninth straight time they have combined for at least six goals.
Montreal had 53% of its games clear the total this season, while that figure jumps to 54% for road games. The simulations call for 5.9 combined goals on Friday, making the Over the value play 51% of the time.