The Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres clash in Game 1 of the NHL Eastern Conference Semifinals on Wednesday, May 6, at 7:00 p.m. ET, televised by TNT and truTV.
The Sabres are favored to win Game 1, returning a 1.72x payout if they do, via PrizePicks.
The Sabres downed the Boston Bruins in six games for their first postseason series win since 2007, ending an 18-year drought. They'll face a Canadiens team that dispatched the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games.
Montreal is in the second round for only the second time in the last 11 seasons. The winner of the best-of-seven conference semifinal will take on the winner of the Carolina-Philadelphia series.
Below, we’ll break down our Canadiens vs. Sabres vs. prediction and picks for Wednesday’s Game 1, including spread, over/under, and top player picks for PrizePicks.
Make your Canadiens vs. Sabres pick on PrizePicks now on tonight’s Game 1
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Canadiens vs. Sabres Prediction, Winner, Over/Under for Game 1 - Wednesday, May 6
After splitting a pair of home games to start the series vs. Boston, the Sabres won Games 3 and 4 on the road in Boston, outscoring the Bruins 9-2. Following an OT loss at home that could’ve closed out the series, Buffalo won in Boston again, dominating Game 6 to win their first postseason series since 2007.
RW Alex Tuch led the Sabres in goals (4) and was tied with C Tage Thompson in points with 7 each. Goalie Alex Lyon saved 95.5% of shots faced, only allowing 5 goals over 5 starts, making 106 saves. The .955 save percentage was third among goalies in the first round.
The Canadiens outlasted the Lightning in a series that was as close as possible. Each game of the series was decided by one goal, and four went to overtime. The score was tied or within one goal for all but six minutes in the seven games. Montreal won three of the four games played in Tampa to win a postseason series for the first time since losing in the Cup Final in 2021.
Not only were the games balanced, but so was Montreal’s stats sheet, as 10 different Canadiens scored in the series, with LW Juraj Slafkovsky having the most with three goals. C Nick Suzuki and D Lane Hutson each led the team with six points, while Jakub Dobes started and played every second of the seven games, allowing 15 goals on 196 shots.
The last time the Canadiens and Sabres met in the postseason was a Sabres sweep in the 1998 Eastern Conference semifinals.
Canadiens vs. Sabres Winner, Spread, Over/Under - Wednesday, May 6
The Sabres enter Wednesday’s Game 1 as home favorites against the Canadiens, returning a 1.72x payout if they win outright, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
Here are the full payouts for Canadiens vs. Sabres on PrizePicks.
- Puck Line: Buffalo Sabres -1.5 (2.7x)
- Over/Under: 6.5 (1.75x)
- Game Winner Payout: Canadiens 2.04x | Sabres 1.72x
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
Play the Canadiens vs. Sabres winner or over/under on PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money — available in 35 states!
Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres Timeline for NHL Playoffs
Here is the full Canadiens vs. Sabres timeline, including the playoff series game-by-game and recent matchup history.
All-Time: Sabres 155-151-32
Regular Season: Sabres 138-134-32
Postseason: Montreal, 18-17 (Montreal has won four of seven series)
Canadiens vs. Sabres Eastern Conference Semifinals Timeline, Schedule for 2026 NHL Playoffs
- Game 1: Wednesday, May 6, 7 p.m. in Buffalo
- Game 2: Friday, May 8, 7 p.m. in Buffalo
- Game 3: Sunday, May 10, 7 p.m. in Montreal
- Game 4: Tuesday, May 12, 7 p.m. in Montreal
- Game 5-7 if necessary
Canadiens vs. Sabres Prediction on Over/Under for NHL Playoffs, Game 1
Here are the key stats and trends behind our Canadiens vs. Sabres prediction on the spread for Wednesday, May 6
- During the regular season, 45 of Montreal’s 82 games (54.9%) went over the total, the eighth-highest total of the 32 NHL teams.
- However, in the postseason, the final six games of the seven-game series vs. the Lightning went under the total.
- The Canadiens averaged 2.29 goals in the series, while allowing 2.14. The 2.29 goals scored per game was the least of any of the eight teams that won first-round series.
- During the regular season, Montreal averaged 3.4 goals per game, seventh-best in the NHL, and allowed 3.06 goals, 16th in the NHL.
- The Sabres played 51.8% of their games under this season, which was 12th among all teams in under percentage and, most in their division.
- So far in the postseason, four of the six games vs. Boston went under the total, and the two that went over totaled seven, just over the 6.5 line.
- Buffalo is averaging 3.33 goals per game in the playoffs, sixth-best, while allowing only 2.0 goals a game, second-best behind Carolina.
- During the regular season, the Sabres were the fifth-highest scoring team in the league at 3.45 goals per game and allowed 2.93, good for the 10th best.
- According to NHL EDGE Stats, the Sabres have tallied 54 high-danger shots-on-goal this postseason, which ranks third among playoff teams.
- Sabres goalie Alex Lyon’s 95.5 save percentage is currently second among all goalies in the postseason.
Make your Canadiens vs. Sabres prediction on total goals on PrizePicks
Canadiens vs. Sabres Picks, Stats for PrizePicks in Game 1
Here are the top Canadiens vs. Sabres picks to target in Game 1 on the NHL Playoffs on PrizePicks for Wednesday, May 6. Today’s NHL picks for PrizePicks include F Nick Suzuki and G Alex Lyon.
Get a Payout Boost tonight during theNHL Playoffs on PrizePicks.
Canadiens C Nick Suzuki vs. Sabres Projection: 0.5 Assists
- Canadiens C Nick Suzuki co-led the team with 6 points in the first-round series vs. Tampa Bay. His lone goal opened up the scoring in Game 7, a 2-1 Montreal win.
- Suzuki had at least 1 assist in four of the last five games in the first round and in 52 of 82 games during the regular season.
- The Ontario native had a career-high 72 goals this season, fifth-best in the league.
- Suzuki has 2 goals, 6 assists, and is +4 on the ice in four games vs. Buffalo this season.
Add Nick Suzuki to your PrizePicks Lineup now
Sabres G Alex Lyon vs. Canadiens Projection: 23.5 Goalie Saves
- In the 38 games in which Sabres goalie Alex Lyon played a majority of the game in the net, he stopped 24+ shots in 29 of them (76.3%).
- In four starts in the first round vs. the Bruins, Lyon recorded 25+ saves in three of them and had 23 in the other.
- The Yale product’s 2.77 goals against average this season was a career best and 29th among the 57 goalies with at least 30 starts this season.
- In two games vs. the Canadiens this season, Lyon recorded 27 and 28 saves, allowing three goals in each game.
Add Alex Lyon to your PrizePicks Lineup now
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Live NHL Picks Tonight: Canadiens vs. Sabres Live Picks on PrizePicks
Here are some in-game angles to target for your Canadiens vs. Sabres live picks in tonight's Game 1. Make your live NHL picks on PrizePicks during the Canadiens vs. Sabres game.
- Even though they won the first-round series in six games, the Sabres struggled on the power play, converting on only one of 24 opportunities (4.2%), by far the worst of any team.
- During the season, the Sabres were fourth in the NHL in first-period goals (84), seventh in the second period (95), and fifth in the third period (101).
- As for the Canadiens, their best period is the second, where their 98 goals were fourth in the NHL.
- On defense, there is a big advantage in the second period, as the Sabres allowed the third-fewest goals (72), and Montreal allowed the 23rd-most (91).
Make Canadiens vs. Sabres Game 1 Prediction on PrizePicks
The Canadiens and Sabres haven’t been this far in the NHL Playoffs in a while; tonight kicks off their series to decide who advances to the NHL Eastern Conference Finals.
Can the Sabres storybook season continue with a Game 1 in at home? The Canadiens vs. Sabres, Eastern Conference semifinals game 1 contest is at 7:00 p.m., Wednesday on TNT and truTV.
You can make your Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders — now available in 35 states.
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