Canadiens recover, defeat Sabres in OT for 5th straight win

MONTREAL -- Mike Matheson scored 1:21 into overtime, and the Montreal Canadiens recovered from blowing a three-goal lead to extend their longest winning streak in three years to five games with a 4-3 victory against the Buffalo Sabres at Bell Centre on Monday.

Matheson kept the puck on a 2-on-1 rush and beat James Reimer short side with a quick wrist shot from the right face-off dot.

“I don’t know if the streak necessarily matters more than just the fact that we’ve been able to get 10 points,” Matheson said. “If we had lost tonight, it wouldn’t mean that the next game (at the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday) was any more important than it still is now. So, it will be important to see what we could have done better and bring that to Edmonton.”

Nick Suzuki had a goal and three assists, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky also scored, and Lane Hutson had two assists for Montreal (30-26-5), which last won five straight from Feb. 17-26, 2022. Sam Montembeault made 33 saves.

Suzuki was named the NHL’s Third Star of the Week on Monday. He has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) during a five-game point streak.

“I’m playing with good players, we’re using each other well, the power play’s been good,” Suzuki said. “It’s nice when our line feels good and we’re doing things properly and getting rewarded for it. So, it’s been fun lately and we’re just trying to keep that going on the road.”

Alex Tuch, Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin scored for Buffalo (24-29-6), which has lost three straight, including 4-2 to the Canadiens on Saturday. Reimer made 16 saves.

Montreal went 2-for-5 on the power play, including scoring twice on four opportunities in the first period. Dahlin took three minor penalties in the game, including back-to-back penalties midway through the first.

“That’s on me, too, some really dumb penalties,” Dahlin said. “It kept them in the game. Every time we were playing 5-on-5 we were in their zone and creating a lot, so it’s a tough one.”

Caufield gave Montreal a 1-0 lead at 9:42 of the first period with his 30th goal of the season. Suzuki slipped a pass between Sabres defenseman Dennis Gilbert’s skates to Caufield for a one-timer from the left edge of the crease on the power play.

Suzuki made it 2-0 with a short-handed goal at 11:41. He took a pass from Matheson on a 2-on-1 and shot past Reimer’s glove from the left face-off circle.

Slafkovsky pushed it to 3-0 at 13:42 with the Canadiens’ third straight special-teams goal. He got credit for a power-play goal when his pass across the crease deflected in off Sabres defenseman Connor Clifton’s stick and skate.

Tuch cut it to 3-1 at 18:07 of the second period when he scored on the rebound of Dylan Cozens’ shot. It was his fourth straight game with a goal.

Thompson drew Buffalo to within 3-2 at 3:24 of the third period with a one-timer from above the left face-off circle. Dahlin then tied it 3-3 at 18:59 on a wrist shot from the left face-off circle with Reimer pulled for an extra attacker.

“Special teams, just in general, let us down tonight,” Thompson said. “We had plenty of chances on the power play to get back in it, even take a lead, kind of put them on their heels. We just kept giving them momentum every time they would kill it. And obviously the PK, they get a couple early there, and it’s tough when they do that, especially in this building.

“We definitely made it harder than it needed to be on ourselves. With that being said, we clawed our way back, got a point, but we need that other one.”

NOTES: Tuch tied the longest goal streak of his career. … Dahlin is the second Buffalo defenseman to have at least four consecutive 10-goal seasons. Phil Housley had eight straight 10-goal seasons for the Sabres from 1982-83 to 1989-90. … Hutson became the fastest Canadiens defenseman to 50 NHL points, reaching the mark in his 63rd game. Chris Chelios had the previous mark of 66 games.