Cole Caufield scores twice to lead Canadiens over Sabres 7-5

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BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Cole Caufield scored twice, including the game-winner, to lead the Montreal Canadiens to a 7-5 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday.

The win snapped a six-game losing streak for the Canadiens, and ended a three-game winning streak for the Sabres.

Caufield’s two goals put him at a league-leading 12 for the season. His second was a power-play goal with 7:02 left in the third period that put the Canadiens ahead to stay.

Buffalo leading-scorer Tage Thompson and defenseman Mattias Samuelsson exited the game with lower-body injuries and did not return.

Rasmus Dahlin and Dylan Cozens each had a goal and an assist for Buffalo. Thompson, Peyton Krebs and JJ Peterka also scored for the Sabres.

Nick Suzuki scored twice and had an assist and Juraj Slafkovsky had three assists for Montreal. Josh Anderson, Christian Dvorak and Emil Heineman also scored.

Sabres: Thompson scored for the fourth straight game. Only three Sabres in the past 25 years have had longer streaks: Jason Pominville (six in 2006-2007), Dahlin (five in 2022-2023), and Thomas Vanek (five in 2008-2009).

Canadiens: Suzuki’s assist on Caufield’s goal gave him 300 career points in 389 games played, the fourth fewest games in Canadiens' history in the past 35 years following Stephane Richer (336), Saku Koivu (381), and Chris Chelios (385).

Thompson left the game with 18:08 to play in the second period.

The Canadiens seven goals are their most in a game since they scored nine against the Philadelphia Flyers on April 9, 2024.

The Sabres conclude a three-game homestand against the St. Louis Blues while the Canadiens round out a four-game road trip against the Minnesota Wild each on Thursday night.

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AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL