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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Face-off: 1930 ET, 23/02/2022
Arena: Centre Bell
Buffalo have beaten Montreal three times so far this season but will come up against a rejuvenated Canadiens outfit in the series finale.
New coach Martin St Louis has totally transformed the Habs and they head into this contest seeking to claim a fourth straight victory.
We’re jumping on the bandwagon and taking 1.91 for a home win on the money line in our Montreal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres predictions.
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Admittedly, Buffalo were the last team to beat Montreal when prevailing 5-3 at this venue 10 days ago, but their respective fortunes have reversed since then.
The Canadiens ended a 10-match winless run when edging out the St Louis Blues in overtime and then shaded the New York Islanders in a shootout.
With their tails now up, Montreal moved up to another level by beating Toronto 5-2, leading 5-0 entering the third period.
Josh Anderson had two goals and an assist while Cole Caufield had a goal and two assists in a performance full of confidence.
“I think you need some swagger and I think we’re building a lot of swagger right now,” St Louis said.
“And swagger is not like cockiness or arrogance, it’s just believing in yourself and feeling good about yourself.
“I think we have that and swagger is so important in this league to be successful.”
The Habs have come out firing and scored first in each of their victories, so 2.25 they break the deadlock again in the opening period here appeals from the NHL odds.
Buffalo’s slim hopes of challenging for a wildcard spot have since nosedived due to a trio of defeats.
The Sabres went down 3-1 to Ottawa and 5-3 to Colorado on home ice, before falling to a 7-3 defeat at Columbus.
Tage Thompson scored for the fourth time in two games against the Blue Jackets but it was a laboured display from Don Granato’s side.
“We just looked tired,” said the head coach. “Tired plays. Tired mistakes. Physically tired. Mentally tired a little. We just couldn’t finish simple stuff.
“There were so many signs of fatigue but the bottom line for us is we have to learn how to play through that. We just didn’t adjust to not having your game.”
Having time to recover from a weekend double-header will help and getting defenceman Rasmus Dahlin back from injury would be another big boost.
However, we’re sticking with resurgent Montreal to oblige 3-2 at 11.5 in our NHL predictions.
Additional stats
Last result:
MONTREAL 5-2 Toronto
Columbus 7-3 BUFFALO
Head-to-head: Montreal 3-5 Buffalo, Buffalo 4-1 Montreal, Buffalo 5-1 Montreal
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