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Montréal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres

Regular season · Friday, December 18, 2026 · KeyBank Center

Montréal CanadiensMontréalCanadiensAway

vs

Buffalo SabresBuffaloSabresHome

ESPN+ · HULU · Disney+ · TSN2

Game preview

The Montréal Canadiens visit the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Friday, December 18, 2026, with puck drop at 7:30 PM ET. The game is on ESPN+, HULU, Disney+ and TSN2.

This is the third of 4 meetings this season. Canadiens 1, Sabres 0 so far; the last game finished BUF 3, MTL 4.

Rest and travel

Canadiens

First game of a road trip.

  1. 82026-12-08: vs VGK
  2. 92026-12-09: no game
  3. 102026-12-10: vs ANA
  4. 112026-12-11: no game
  5. 122026-12-12: at CBJ
  6. 132026-12-13: no game
  7. 142026-12-14: vs EDM
  8. 152026-12-15: no game
  9. 162026-12-16: no game
  10. 172026-12-17: no game
  11. 182026-12-18: at BUF
rest since last game
3 days
rest since last game
since last game
~319 mi
since last game
on this road trip
~319 mi
on this road trip
body clock vs home
Home time
body clock vs home

Sabres

Another game at home.

  1. 82026-12-08: no game
  2. 92026-12-09: no game
  3. 102026-12-10: vs EDM
  4. 112026-12-11: no game
  5. 122026-12-12: vs ANA
  6. 132026-12-13: no game
  7. 142026-12-14: at OTT
  8. 152026-12-15: vs CGY, second of a back-to-backB2B
  9. 162026-12-16: no game
  10. 172026-12-17: no game
  11. 182026-12-18: vs MTL
rest since last game
2 days
rest since last game
since last game
~0 mi
since last game
road trip
–
road trip
body clock vs home
Home time
body clock vs home
Home game Road game This gameB2B = second night of a back-to-back. Distances are approximate.

Lines from last game

Montréal CanadiensCanadiensTue, Oct 13 vs BUF
  1. L1Slafkovský#20Suzuki#14Caufield#13
    13:14 together at 5v5
  2. L2Texier#85Danault#24Bolduc#76
    10:29 together at 5v5
  3. L3Kreider#22Newhook#15Anderson#17
    7:44 together at 5v5
  4. L4NewEvans#71Dach#77Beck#62
    5:17 together at 5v5
  1. D1NewCarrier#45Guhle#21
    16:53 together at 5v5
  2. D2Dobson#53Hutson#48
    12:32 together at 5v5
  3. D3NewXhekaj#72Engstrom#42
    7:19 together at 5v5

Power play

  1. 1Kreider LSlafkovský LSuzuki CCaufield RHutson D2:22
  2. 2Texier LDach CNewhook CBolduc RDobson D0:47

Penalty kill

  1. 1Danault CEvans CCarrier DGuhle D1:14
  2. 2Evans CNewhook CDobson DXhekaj D0:58
Buffalo SabresSabresTue, Oct 13 at MTL
  1. L1Benson#6Ostlund#86Quinn#22
    10:23 together at 5v5
  2. L2McLeod#71Kulich#20Helenius#94
    7:12 together at 5v5
  3. L3Thompson#72Krebs#19Doan#91
    6:57 together at 5v5
  4. L4NewMalenstyn#29Norris#9Danforth#15
    6:26 together at 5v5
  1. D1NewSamuelsson#23Zellweger#8
    14:05 together at 5v5
  2. D2Power#25Metsa#73
    11:55 together at 5v5
  3. D3NewGilbert#44Crevier#46
    6:02 together at 5v5

Power play

  1. 1Benson LThompson COstlund CQuinn RPower D3:35

Penalty kill

  1. 1Malenstyn LDanforth RSamuelsson DCrevier D0:55
  2. 2Malenstyn LSamuelsson DPower D0:49

Behind the bench

Each grey tick is one NHL team.

MTLBUF

Settled lines

Share of 5v5 time from the regular top four lines · 2026–27

MTL 69% (16th most shuffled)BUF 64% (12th most shuffled)
← Shuffles linesKeeps lines together →

Goalie pull, down one

Median time left in the 3rd when the goalie comes out, delayed penalties excluded · 2025–26 · under 10 pulls is a small sample

MTL 1:48 left (16th latest · 16 pulls)BUF 1:54 left (13th earliest · 9 pulls)
← Pulls latePulls early →

Average shift

All skaters, all strengths · 2025–26

MTL 51.0s (4th longest)BUF 46.8s (7th shortest)
← Short shiftsLong shifts →

Caught on long shifts

Share of 5v5 goals against with a skater 60s+ into his shift · 2025–26

MTL 38% (3rd most often)BUF 28% (14th least often)
← Rarely caughtOften caught →

Season series