Bolduc shootout goal lifts Canadiens past Sabres 4-3

MONTREAL – Zachary Bolduc scored the deciding goal in the shootout, and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 on Tuesday night after letting a two-goal lead slip away.

Bolduc beat Buffalo goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen five-hole to end the shootout. Cole Caufield and Alexandre Texier also scored for Montreal, while Tage Thompson scored for Buffalo and Jack Quinn was stopped.

Lane Hutson tied the game 1-1 on a five-on-three power play at 14:28 of the first period, with Phillip Danault screening. Caufield made it 2-1 with a one-timer at 1:19 of the second, set up by Juraj Slafkovsky, and Josh Anderson scored at 19:10 to put Montreal up 3-1. Hutson had a goal and an assist, Caufield a goal and an assist, and Slafkovsky two assists.

Buffalo’s Olen Zellweger opened the scoring at 2:16 of the first period with a wrist shot from the left point that deflected off the glove of Montreal defenceman Adam Engstrom. Josh Norris cut the deficit to 3-2 at 4:24 of the third, his shot deflecting off Engstrom’s leg. Zellweger tied it 3-3 just 61 seconds later, his second of the game, on a shot that went off goalie Jacob Fowler’s right arm.

Fowler made 14 saves in his third straight start. Luukkonen stopped 35 shots for Buffalo.

“It seemed like we lacked a lot of playmaking and a lot of energy, and our goalie got us a point,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said.

Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis praised Bolduc’s development, saying his game is “much more complete.”

Montreal improved to 3-2-1. Buffalo is 3-3-1. Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin missed the game with an upper-body injury and is day to day. Canadiens defenceman Mike Matheson also sat out with a lower-body injury and is day to day.

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Via NHL.com, with the result confirmed by TSN.