Buffalo Sabres at Montreal Canadiens NHL Predictions
2025-03-03 • Centre Bell
Montreal Canadiens 4 - 3 Buffalo Sabres
📊 Pre-Game Predictions
Win Probability
MTL: 53.7%
BUF: 46.3%
Expected Goals
MTL: 3.53
BUF: 3.30
Total Goals
Median: 6.1
Over 5.5: 55%
Over 6.5: 42%
🥅 Goalie Matchup
MTL
Samuel Montembeault - 6-6-1 | 0.863 SV% | 3.52 GAA
BUF
James Reimer - 10-10-2 | 0.896 SV% | 3.04 GAA
| Stat | MTL | BUF |
|---|---|---|
| Season SV% | 0.863 | 0.896 |
| Last 5 SV% | — | — |
| SV% vs Opponent | — | — |
| GAA | 3.52 | 3.04 |
Last 5 / vs opponent shown when available in goalie stats. Confirmed goalie row used when available; otherwise current projected starter is shown.
Goalie Game Metrics
| Team | Goalie | SA | Saves | GA | SV% | xGA | HD Faced | GSAx |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MTL | Samuel Montembeault | 36 | 33 | 3 | 91.7% | 4.98 | 5 | 1.98 |
| BUF | James Reimer | 20 | 16 | 4 | 80.0% | 3.01 | 1 | -0.99 |
SA uses shots on goal plus goals. xGA, high-danger faced, and GSAx use modeled scoring attempts against. GSAx is xGA minus goals against.
Head-to-Head History
Model accuracy in this matchup: 32% • MTL at home vs BUF: 4-5
| Date | Score | Winner | Model Pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-18 | BUF 2 - 3 MTL | MTL | BUF |
| 2026-05-16 | MTL 3 - 8 BUF | BUF | BUF |
| 2026-05-14 | BUF 3 - 6 MTL | MTL | BUF |
| 2026-05-12 | MTL 2 - 3 BUF | BUF | BUF |
| 2026-05-10 | MTL 6 - 2 BUF | MTL | BUF |
Shot Quality by Period
| Period | Team | Shots | High Danger | xG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MTL | 14 | 0 | 1.41 |
| 1 | BUF | 14 | 2 | 1.56 |
| 2 | MTL | 8 | 0 | 0.78 |
| 2 | BUF | 23 | 3 | 2.17 |
| 3 | MTL | 9 | 1 | 0.79 |
| 3 | BUF | 24 | 0 | 1.25 |
| 4 | MTL | 1 | 0 | 0.03 |
| 4 | BUF | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Shots are modeled attempts: shots on goal, goals, and missed shots. Blocked shots are excluded. High danger is xG >= 0.20.
📈 Post-Game Analysis
Prediction Result
✅ Correct
Confidence: 53.7%
Total Goals
Actual: 7.0
Expected: 6.8
Score Breakdown
Montreal Canadiens 4 - 3 Buffalo Sabres
Expected: 3.5 - 3.3
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