What a weekend for Montreal sports fans. One team delivered a thriller at the Bell Centre, the other made a calculated decision with the playoffs in mind. Let’s break it down.
Habs 4, Sabres 3 (OT): Caufield Does It Again
Cole Caufield scored his second goal of the night just 54 seconds into overtime on Saturday to give the Canadiens a 4-3 win over Buffalo, according to the AP recap on ESPN. He broke in alone after a Sabres rush fizzled and ripped a shot into the top corner. It was his 14th regular-season overtime goal, extending his own franchise record.
Zachary Bolduc and Alexandre Texier also scored as Montreal built a two-goal lead, and Juraj Slafkovsky and Alexandre Carrier each had two assists. Buffalo stormed back, and Tage Thompson tied it with 9:48 left in the third, but the Habs killed off a late Sabres power play to force overtime. Jacob Fowler made 23 saves in his fourth start in five games.
It was the second Habs win over the Sabres in five days, after Tuesday’s shootout victory, and it pushes Montreal to 4-3-1 (as of October 19). We previewed the matchup in our game-day post.
Als 12, Riders 16: Resting Up for November
In Regina, the Alouettes lost 16-12 to Saskatchewan, but the result came with an asterisk. With a first-round playoff bye already locked up, Montreal sat many of its top players, according to the Alouettes. Quarterback Davis Alexander was the third QB and didn’t take a snap, and receivers Tyson Philpot and Tyler Snead and running back Stevie Scott III were also held out.
The positives? The defence held the Riders to three field goals until a touchdown with 30 seconds left, and Wesley Sutton picked off Trevor Harris. Rookie running back Shomari Lawrence ran for 109 yards on 16 carries in his start. Saskatchewan clinched a playoff spot with the win.
What’s Next
- Tuesday, Oct. 20: Canadiens host the San Jose Sharks at 7 p.m. (full schedule).
- Wednesday, Oct. 21: CF Montréal host Forge FC in the Canadian Championship final at Stade Saputo, 7 p.m., with the Voyageurs Cup and a 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup spot on the line (MLSsoccer.com).
- Friday, Oct. 23: Alouettes close the regular season in Toronto, while the Habs open a four-game road trip in Chicago.
- Saturday, Nov. 7: The Alouettes host the Eastern Final at Percival Molson Stadium.
Planning to watch Tuesday’s game out? Our guide to the best Montreal bars to watch the Habs goes up Tuesday morning. Follow it all on MTL365 Sports. Go Habs Go!
More on MTL365
- Soup Season: The 8 Best French Onion Soups in Montreal Right Now
- This Week in Montreal (Oct. 19–25): Horror Films, Electronic Music, Halloween Parties and the Last Slurps of Ramen Fest
- Monday Briefing: Liberals Sworn In Today, PQ Cabinet Coming Wednesday, and the Mercier Bridge Is Fully Reopened
- More Montreal sports on MTL365
Photo: Alexcaban at English Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Sources: AP / ESPN, Montreal Alouettes, MLSsoccer.com
