Buffalo Sabres vs Montreal Canadiens Prediction, Preview and Odds - 05/16/2026

Game Time: 8:00 pm ET, Saturday, May 16, 2026

Venue:  Bell Centre, Montréal, QC

Where to Watch:  ABC

DraftKings:  Moneyline:  Sabres +136, Canadiens -162; Over/Under:  6.5 goals

Bet365:  Moneyline:  Sabres +135, Canadiens -160; Over/Under:  6.5 goals

BetMGM:  Moneyline:  Sabres +135, Canadiens -160; Over/Under:  6.5 goals

Buffalo Sabres:  50-23-9 (1st place, Atlantic Division)

Montreal Canadiens:  48-24-10 (3rd place, Atlantic Division)

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Buffalo Sabres:  5-4-1 last 10

Montreal Canadiens:  6-3-1 last 10

The Sabres are entering the playoffs with 109 points, a 50-23-9 record overall, and they were 24-13-4 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Montreal Canadiens in their last game, losing that one at home 6-3. Jason Zucker, Josh Doan, and Konsta Helenius each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Conor Timmins, Jack Quinn, Mattias Samuelsson, Owen Power, and Rasmus Dahlin each led the team in assists with 1 while Mattias Samuelsson led the team in shots on net in that game with 5. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 5 goals on 23 shots with 18 saves and a .783 sv percentage before getting replaced by Alex Lyon who made 2 saves on 3 shots with a .667 save percentage. Their offense has scored 288 goals this season averaging 3.5 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 241 goals against them allowing 2.9 goals per game.

The Canadiens are entering the playoffs with 106 points, a 48-24-10 record overall, and they were 24-15-2 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the Buffalo Sabres in their last game, winning that one on the road 6-3. Nick Suzuki, Ivan Demidov, Alexandre Texier, Cole Caufield, Jake Evans, and Josh Anderson each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Juraj Slafkovský led the team in assists with 3 while Ivan Demidov led the team in shots on net in that game with 5. Jakub Dobeš was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 3 goals on 36 shots with 33 saves and a .917 save percentage. Their offense has scored 283 goals this season averaging 3.5 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 256 goals against them allowing 3.1 goals per game.

The current betting odds have the Canadiens listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Sabres have looked great in their games this season with their 50-23-9 record overall which had them right at the top of their division in the East with one of the best records in the entire NHL. They have been a good road team too with their 24-13-4 road record this year. Meanwhile, the Canadiens have looked good in their games this season with their 48-24-10 record overall which had them in the top half of their division in the East. They have looked good on home ice too with their 24-15-2 home record this season. This is game 6 of a 7-game series between the 1st seeded Sabres and the 3rd seeded Canadiens from the Atlantic Division for the 2nd round of the NHL playoffs. The Canadiens are entering this game with a 3-2 series lead after winning game 5 by a score of 6-3. The Canadiens had a rough start to game 5, trailing right away in that game, but they managed to answer every time they got scored on. They kept battling and eventually they took over that game in the back half of it. The Canadiens have looked great defensively in the playoffs this year, but now their offense has caught up to them in these last few games and the Sabres have had no answers. The Sabres managed to get some momentum going back home after winning game 4, but the Canadiens have killed that and they have taken all of the momentum in this series for themselves. The Sabres have been up and down in the playoffs going back to the last round too and now they are running into some big defensive issues. They have also gone back and forth between goaltenders, so they don't have a solid option at the moment that they can rely on to carry them if they need it in this game. Look for the Canadiens to use that momentum and end this series at home. The best way to place a bet here is on the Canadiens to win this game. 

Sabres Canadiens Prediction:  Our NHL Pick for Saturday, May 16, 2026 (8:00 pm ET start time) is Canadiens 4 Sabres 2.

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Buffalo Sabres: 57-73 (+9.4 units) on the moneyline as an underdog. 47-38 (+16.4 units) on the moneyline revenging a same season loss vs opponent. 78-81 (+10.8 units) on the moneyline against explosive offensive teams - scoring 3+ goals/game. 11-5 OVER revenging a loss vs opponent as a home favorite.

Montreal Canadiens: 0-4 (-4.5 units) on the moneyline when leading in a playoff series. 4-11 (-8.3 units) on the moneyline after scoring 6 goals or more in their previous game. 55-69 (-5.2 units) on the moneyline off a win in their previous game. 27-17 OVER after playing a road game.

Buffalo Sabres:  N. Ostlund (C) Out - Lower Body. J. Kulich (C) Out For Season - Ear. J. Danforth (RW) Out For Season - Kneecap.

Montreal Canadiens:  P. Laine (RW) Out - Abdomen.

“There’s nothing (Luukkonen) could’ve done on the first goal. There’s nothing he could’ve done on the second goal. I think the (fourth) goal that went in from a real tough angle, I think that’s one that he would want back. So, if I would’ve made a decision, would it have made a difference? Possibly. But all year, we haven’t made it about our goaltender, and we’re not gonna make it about our goaltender now.” - Lindy Ruff after his team’s loss against the Canadiens in the 5th game of this series on Thursday. 

“I think after that moment, we started to flip the momentum. I think for, can’t say exactly, but 12, 13 minutes in the second we had the momentum. We played the way we’re capable of. We were dangerous from that point on and forced them to defend.” - Martin St Louis after his team’s win against the Sabres in game 5 of this series on Thursday. 

LW Peyton Krebs

C Tage Thompson

RW Alex Tuch

LD Rasmus Dahlin

RD Mattias Samuelsson

G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

LW Cole Caufield

C Nick Suzuki

RW Juraj Slafkovský

LD Mike Matheson

RD Alexandre Carrier

G Jakub Dobes

Points: Tage Thompson (81)

Goals: Tage Thompson (40)

Assists: Rasmus Dahlin (55)

GAA: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (2.52)

Points: Nick Suzuki (101)

Goals: Cole Caufield (51)

Assists: Nick Suzuki (72)

GAA: Jacob Fowler (2.43)

Coaches:

Buffalo Sabres: Lindy Ruff (2nd season)

Montreal Canadiens: Martin St. Louis (5th season)