BUFFALO, N.Y. — This Montreal Canadiens season has largely been problem-free from a wins and losses perspective.
After riding a roller coaster of winning and losing streaks a year ago, the Canadiens — aside from an 0-4-1 stretch in mid-November — have not lost more than two games in a row. They entered their game against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night with two straight wins against the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche, two Western Conference powers, but had lost twice in regulation to the Sabres in the previous two weeks.
The Canadiens like to treat every game as the biggest game of the season, but this one was a bit bigger. A loss would not have crippled the Canadiens, but captain Nick Suzuki told his teammates after the 7-3 win at home Thursday against the Avalanche that this game was a “must win.” That’s not a phrase you can throw around loosely.
Victoire décisive.
Statement win.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/B9apQOyK1w
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) January 30, 2026
The Canadiens trailed the Sabres 2-1 through 40 minutes Saturday and, as this heat map from Natural Stat Trick demonstrates, were not getting shots off from the areas of the ice necessary for scoring. On at least two occasions in the first two periods, Alex Lyon gave up a rebound that just sat in a very dangerous spot, and the Canadiens were simply unable to get to it.
Yet the problems faced by the Canadiens this season showed up as solutions, as they erased that 2-1 deficit and pulled off a 4-2 win thanks to tying and winning goals from Cole Caufield, which is nothing new.
Cole Caufield has scored 22 of his 31 goals this season at the time the Canadiens are either tied or trailing by 1 this season#GoHabsGo
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) February 1, 2026
What is new is clutch goaltending. And clutch penalty-killing. And an effective defence partner for Lane Hutson. And an effective linemate for Caufield and Nick Suzuki.
The Canadiens got all those things Saturday night in Buffalo.
The clutch goalie
Jakub Dobeš has not lost in regulation since Dec. 9. He made 36 saves against the Sabres and was just about the only reason the Canadiens entered the third period down only a goal.
Though he allowed two goals with the Canadiens down a man during a second-period onslaught, Dobeš limited the damage as the Sabres territorially dominated the middle frame and crowded his work space.
“They kind of changed their strategy in the second. I saw a lot of blue jerseys,” he said. “I feel like we did a good job not having free sticks in front of the net and I feel like I was seeing the puck pretty well, so it worked out in our favour, I feel like. With their momentum, they didn’t grab a bigger lead than they did.”
Over the Canadiens’ three-game win streak, Dobeš has a .931 save percentage and 2.29 goals against average against three top-10 scoring teams in the NHL. It is starting to feel real.
The clutch penalty-killing
The Canadiens allowed two man-advantage goals in the second period, one when Owen Power scored on a delayed penalty at six-on-five. But when Kirby Dach was called for holding at 16:24 of the third period with a one-goal lead — a penalty Dach argued but saved a sure game-tying goal by Bowen Byram — the Canadiens’ 27th-ranked penalty kill could have crumbled.
But it didn’t.
After Jake Evans and Phillip Danault were sent out for the initial faceoff, coach Martin St. Louis called on Oliver Kapanen with Suzuki instead of his usual partner, Josh Anderson.
“I think he trusts me in moments like that, late in games,” Suzuki said. “I love killing, I miss it a lot. I’ve always done it. It’s something I know I can do and he trusts me in it.”
Suzuki usually only goes out if one of the regular penalty-killers is in the box. This was a coaching decision, and it was a good one, with Suzuki winning a key defensive zone faceoff and being a disruptive presence.
“I know Suzy could probably be one of our best penalty-killers if that’s his job,” St. Louis said. “You’re trying to divide the roles a little bit and it allows you to manage ice time.
“But when you’re in that kind of situation, you’re not worried about ice time.”
An effective defence partner for Hutson
Hutson’s most frequent partners this season have been Jayden Struble, who has been a healthy scratch the past four games, and Alexandre Carrier, who was on the third pairing Saturday.
Hutson played with Noah Dobson on Thursday against the Avalanche, seemingly because St. Louis wanted Mike Matheson and Kaiden Guhle to face Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar in a home game.
But when Hutson skated with Dobson at the morning skate again Saturday, St. Louis downplayed it.
“Yeah, we’ll see,” he said. “We’ll probably juggle a little bit.”
Hutson played 10:07 at five-on-five with Dobson against Buffalo. He played 2:34 with Carrier.
They did not, in the end, juggle all that much. And it paid off.
Cole répond à l’appel!
Need a goal? Call Cole#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/lmhiiDVOV0
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) February 1, 2026
The tying goal was an incredible tip by Caufield — St. Louis thought after the game it had hit Caufield’s skate and was both surprised and not surprised to learn he got a stick on it — but it was also an elite play by Dobson to find Caufield, something he does regularly.
With Hutson and Dobson on the ice at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick, the Canadiens controlled the shot attempts 16-5, and the shots on goal 10-2, while earning 92.1 percent of the expected goals. In just over 165 minutes together at five-on-five this season, the Canadiens have outscored opponents 15-6, including 1-0 Saturday night and 3-1 Thursday night against the Avalanche.
The Matheson and Dobson pairing was one St. Louis planned for in the offseason and has stuck with from day one of training camp. It might be time for a change of plan.
An effective linemate for Caufield and Suzuki
Caufield’s winning goal does not happen without Dach’s work on the forecheck, a play that encompassed some of the tools that make him such an enticing player.
MONSIEUR SAMEDI SOIR
MR. FREAKING SATURDAY NIGHT!#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/SvMTCZo6SJ
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) February 1, 2026
Dach’s reach and good stick allowed him to poke the puck away from Michael Kesserling, and his offensive instincts allowed him to get it to Suzuki, who immediately found Caufield back door for his league-leading eighth game-winning goal (tied with Steven Stamkos).
“He’s been building his game since he got back in the lineup,” Suzuki said. “I thought our line was doing a lot of great things. Heavy on the forecheck there, he was able to turn it over and get it to me and I got it over to Cole, so that’s an important play at an important moment.”
Dach found out when he got to the rink three hours before the game that Alexandre Texier would be unable to go and that he would be playing with Suzuki and Caufield. He did not change his mindset and just told himself to continue focusing on what he’s been building since returning from a broken foot on Jan. 20.
“I think both of Cole’s goals were indicative of that,” Dach said. “It’s not like they were pretty passing plays and we were dancing around guys. It was just hard work, in on the forecheck, winning battles and then getting pucks to the net and you get rewarded. It’s always good to get rewarded and you feel proud about your game, but I think as a line we did a lot of good things defensively, we tracked hard, we played well in the neutral zone, so I think there were a lot of positives you can take away.”
Dach’s talent and skillset have long seemed like a good fit with Suzuki and Caufield, especially with the way Juraj Slafkovský — who established a career-high with his 21st goal of the season Saturday — has been thriving on his own line.
“He battled tonight,” St. Louis said. “When Tex couldn’t play, it was very easy for me to put Kirby there, even knowing they would be playing against the big line. He’s very alert on his defensive responsibilities.”
It was just one game, and Texier has been a good substitute playing with Suzuki and Caufield, but if Dach can stick there, the Canadiens will likely be better off.