Montreal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres Picks and Prediction for Friday May 8 2026
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The Eastern Conference Second Round continues Friday night as the Montreal Canadiens face the Buffalo Sabres in Game 2 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM on May 8, 2026, with coverage available on TNT and HBO Max. Buffalo enters the matchup holding a 1-0 series lead after taking the opener on home ice earlier this week. The Sabres are listed at -135 on the moneyline while the total sits at 5.5 goals. Get into the playoff action before its too late with our free NHL picks.
Previous Game Recap
Game 1 saw Buffalo protect home ice with a 4-2 victory over Montreal in a fast-paced contest. The Sabres jumped ahead early with two first-period goals before adding two more in the second period to create separation. Montreal managed one goal in both the first and second periods but could not generate a third-period comeback as Buffalo closed out the win and grabbed the early series advantage.
Montreal received goals from Kirby Dach and Nick Suzuki in the loss while Ivan Demidov and Juraj Slafkovsky each recorded assists. Alex Newhook generated four shots on goal while Suzuki added three shots and won 55.6 percent of his faceoffs. The Canadiens finished with 28 shots overall but struggled to capitalize consistently despite several opportunities throughout the game. Jakub Dobes stopped 12 of 16 shots in net for Montreal.
Buffalo spread the offense around in the victory with Josh Doan scoring once and adding an assist while Ryan McLeod also recorded a goal and an assist. Zach Benson contributed two assists and Bowen Byram added a goal from the blue line. Alex Lyon was excellent between the pipes, stopping 26 of 28 shots and finishing with a .929 save percentage. The Sabres controlled key stretches offensively and capitalized on their scoring opportunities throughout the opening two periods.
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Canadiens Attempting to Even the Series
The Montreal Canadiens enter Game 2 with a 48-24-10 overall record and an impressive 24-9-8 road mark this season. Montreal recently lost to Buffalo 4-2 in Game 1 after previously recently won over Tampa Bay 2-1 and 3-2 during the opening round. The Canadiens have alternated wins and losses over their last five games, including an overtime defeat against Tampa Bay before advancing to this series.
Montreal averaged 3.40 goals per game during the season while allowing 3.06 goals against per contest. The Canadiens generated 26.3 shots per game and allowed 27.8 shots against. Their power play converted at a strong 23.1 percent rate while the penalty kill finished at 78.2 percent. Montreal also scored eight shorthanded goals during the regular season, showing the ability to create offense in multiple situations.
One area that stands out for Montreal is offensive balance led by players like Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. The Canadiens scored 56 power-play goals during the season and have shown they can stay competitive on the road. However, allowing four goals in Game 1 highlighted some defensive concerns that will need to improve entering another difficult matchup in Buffalo.
Sabres Riding Momentum Into Game 2
The Buffalo Sabres finished the regular season at 50-23-9 and posted a strong 26-10-5 record on home ice. Buffalo recently won over Montreal 4-2 in Game 1 after previously recently won over Boston by scores of 4-1, 6-1, and 3-1 during the first round. The Sabres have now won four of their last five games entering Friday night and continue to build confidence during this playoff run.
Buffalo averaged 3.45 goals per game while allowing only 2.93 goals against this season. The Sabres also averaged 28.1 shots per game and carried an 81.9 percent penalty kill into the postseason. Buffalo scored 11 shorthanded goals during the regular season and has consistently shown the ability to pressure opponents in transition. Defensively, the Sabres have limited opponents effectively throughout most of the playoffs.
A major strength for Buffalo has been its goaltending depth and defensive consistency. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen posted a 2.52 goals-against average with a .910 save percentage during the season while Alex Lyon delivered a strong performance in Game 1. Buffalo has also allowed only four combined goals across its last two victories, showing how difficult this team can be to score against when playing at home.
Montreal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres Picks and Prediction
Moneyline Pick
- Buffalo Sabres
The pick in this matchup is the Buffalo Sabres moneyline. Buffalo has carried strong momentum into this series after winning four of its last five games and already taking Game 1 by a 4-2 score. The Sabres also hold a slight edge in goals scored per game while allowing fewer goals defensively than Montreal this season. Buffalo’s strong 26-10-5 home record combined with solid recent goaltending gives the Sabres the advantage heading into another home matchup.
Total Pick
- Over 5.5
The lean is toward the over 5.5 goals. Both teams averaged more than 3.4 goals per game during the regular season, and Game 1 produced six total goals. Montreal has shown the ability to score consistently throughout the playoffs while Buffalo continues generating offense from multiple lines. With both clubs carrying productive scoring leaders into this matchup, another game reaching at least six goals looks like a reasonable expectation.
Final Score Prediction: Buffalo Sabres 4 – Montreal Canadiens 3
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