MONTREAL (Interstat) — Zachary Bolduc scored the decisive goal in a shootout for the second straight game, and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 after blowing a two-goal lead Tuesday night at Bell Centre. The Canadiens improved to 3-3-0. The Sabres fell to 3-4-0. Montreal goalie Jacob Fowler made 14 saves. The announced attendance was 20,962.

Olen Zellweger opened the scoring for Buffalo at 2:16 of the first period, taking a wrist shot off assists from Mattias Samuelsson and Beck Malenstyn. Montreal answered late in the period when Lane Hutson scored on a wrist shot at 14:28, with Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield assisting. The Canadiens had several chances before the goal, including Caufield and Nick Suzuki shots that tested Buffalo goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Buffalo’s Olen Zellweger was penalized for tripping Juraj Slafkovsky, and Louis Crevier was called for delaying the game after putting the puck over the glass. Montreal’s Kirby Dach was sent off for holding Zach Benson. The Canadiens also were called for too many men on the ice, served by Chris Kreider, but Buffalo could not convert. The period ended tied 1-1.

Montreal took control in the second period. Caufield scored 2:19 into the middle frame on a wrist shot from Slafkovsky and Suzuki, giving the Canadiens a 2-1 lead. Montreal added to the advantage later in the period when Josh Anderson scored from Hutson and Bolduc. That gave Montreal a 3-1 lead. Buffalo pressed for a response, and the Sabres had opportunities from Jiri Kulich, Peyton Krebs and Owen Power, but Fowler and the Montreal defense held. Buffalo’s Justin Danforth was called for interference against Adam Engstrom. Montreal also killed a hooking penalty on Alex Newhook. Olen Zellweger had a backhand saved by Fowler, and Montreal carried the two-goal edge into the third period.

Buffalo responded in the third. Josh Norris pulled the Sabres within one at 12:24, scoring on a wrist shot from Dennis Gilbert and Malenstyn. The Sabres kept pushing, and Zellweger tied the game at 15:25 with his second goal of the night, a wrist shot assisted by Zach Benson and Samuelsson. The tying goal capped a comeback from a two-goal deficit and silenced the Bell Centre crowd briefly. Montreal had late chances to regain the lead, including shots from Suzuki, Phillip Danault and Alexandre Texier. Buffalo also had looks from Jack Quinn and Noah Ostlund, but neither team scored again in regulation. Josh Anderson and Peyton Krebs received matching unsportsmanlike conduct penalties late in the third, but the game remained tied.

In overtime, Montreal controlled much of the play. Suzuki had a wrist shot and a poke attempt saved by Luukkonen. Texier also tested Luukkonen, and Juraj Slafkovsky put a wrist shot on net. Buffalo’s Josh Doan delivered a hit on Lane Hutson, and Montreal’s Noah Dobson had a backhand saved. The Sabres could not convert, and the game went to a shootout. Caufield scored Montreal’s first shootout attempt. Tage Thompson answered for Buffalo. Texier then scored for the Canadiens, and Jack Quinn failed on his attempt for the Sabres. Bolduc ended it with a backhand, giving Montreal the extra point and its second straight shootout victory. The Canadiens had beaten Detroit in a shootout in their previous game, and Bolduc again delivered the decisive tally.

Fowler finished with 14 saves on 17 shots for Montreal. Buffalo’s Luukkonen kept the Sabres close throughout, though the Sabres could not solve Fowler in the shootout. Zellweger led Buffalo with two goals on four shots, two penalty minutes and one hit. Caufield had a goal and an assist with five shots for Montreal. Hutson added a goal and an assist with two shots and one hit. Fowler earned the win. Norris scored one goal on one shot for Buffalo. Anderson scored once on two shots and added two penalty minutes. Malenstyn contributed two assists and one hit for the Sabres. Suzuki had one assist, five shots and two hits for Montreal. Slafkovsky recorded two assists, three shots, two penalty minutes and one hit. Samuelsson had two assists and one hit for Buffalo. The key sequence came when the Canadiens built a two-goal lead in the second period, only for the Sabres to rally in the third and force overtime. Montreal ultimately secured the second point in the shootout.

The result gave Montreal momentum before a road game at Washington. Buffalo was set to visit Toronto. The Canadiens and Sabres were scheduled to meet again at Bell Centre. Montreal’s late-game execution in the shootout made the difference after Buffalo erased the deficit. The Sabres had chances in the extra period and in the shootout but could not finish. The Canadiens improved their record and handed Buffalo a fourth loss. The game featured 10 penalties, including five against each team. Montreal’s penalty kill held Buffalo without a power-play goal, while the Sabres also kept Montreal from scoring with the man advantage. The pace was tight throughout, and the teams traded scoring chances in the final minutes of regulation. The Canadiens’ top line of Caufield, Suzuki and Slafkovsky generated consistent pressure, while Buffalo’s Zellweger and Samuelsson fueled the comeback. In the end, Bolduc’s shootout goal was the difference.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Buffalo 3, Montreal 2. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Montreal with a 50.6 percent probability to win. Montreal had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 7 went under the over-under line of 6.5.