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Posted at 11:00 AM EST. Odds are subject to change.

Montreal +115 over Buffalo

NHL Playoff Series Game 2

Buffalo leads series 1-0

7:00 PM EST. Montreal played well enough to win the series opener, but Game 1 felt more like a missed opportunity than a matchup problem. The Canadiens controlled long stretches at five-on-five, generated nearly twice as many shots as Buffalo, and simply failed to capitalize on their chances. That usually corrects itself over the course of a playoff series, especially for an offense that finished top-10 in scoring during the regular season. Nick Suzuki continues to drive one of the league’s most balanced attacks, Cole Caufield remains a constant finishing threat, and Montreal’s power play has quietly been one of the NHL’s more efficient units all year. Teams that can generate offense in multiple ways tend to respond well after low-conversion losses, and the Canadiens fit that profile perfectly.

There’s also value in backing a road team that has consistently shown resilience after defeats. Montreal finished the regular season with an outstanding road record and has repeatedly answered losses with structured defensive efforts and cleaner puck management. The Canadiens were careless in spots during the opener, but Buffalo benefited from an unsustainably clinical shooting performance after scoring four times on just 16 shots. That type of efficiency rarely carries over from one playoff game to the next. If the shot volume evens out even slightly, Montreal should control possession more consistently and force Buffalo into longer defensive shifts, an area where the Sabres have shown vulnerability all season despite their strong overall numbers.

Buffalo deserves credit for a strong regular season and an impressive opening win, but this price leans too heavily on one game. The Sabres have been unreliable as home favorites for stretches down the stretch, while Montreal has built a reputation as one of the better underdog teams in hockey. The Canadiens also bring the more battle-tested top-end core into this spot, and playoff hockey often swings on composure after adversity. Expect Montreal to tighten things up defensively, get more traffic around the net, and lean on its depth scoring to even this series. At plus money, the Canadiens offer the stronger side in a bounce-back spot

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