Canadiens vs. Sabres NHL Playoffs Game 5 Picks

Canadiens vs. Sabres NHL Playoffs Game 5 Picks 

A crucial Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens will take place on Thursday night in Buffalo. It’s all tied up at 2-2 with this best-of-seven set heading back south of the border after the Sabres survived a borderline must-win situation with a 3-2 victory in Game 4 on Tuesday in Montreal.

With puck drop set for 7:00 PM ET on TNT, it’s time to break down the odds and discuss the Canadiens vs Sabres best bets to make. 

Canadiens vs Sabres Game 5 Predictions 

Pick #1: Buffalo Sabres ML over Montreal Canadiens (-118) 

Pick #2: Under 6 (-120) 

Pick #3: Josh Doan Over 0.5 Points (+100) 

PICK #1: Sabres ML over Canadiens (-118) 

Having lost two consecutive contests, Buffalo made a move in net from Alex Lyon to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen for Game 4. Not that the setbacks were Lyon’s fault in particular, but simply switching things up in an effort to regain the mojo worked to perfection for head coach Lindy Ruff. Luukkonen was outstanding and the Sabres delivered a much cleaner all-around performance to even the series at two wins apiece. The 27-year-old Finn turned aside 28 of 30 shots.

Although Luukkonen struggled in his two starts against Boston in round one, what we saw on Tuesday was more along the lines of a large regular-season sample size. Luukkonen went 22-9-3 with a 2.52 goals-against average and .910 save percentage as Buffalo racked up the second-most points in the Eastern Conference behind Carolina.

It is also worth noting that the Sabres went 26-10-5 at home during the regular season, including 4-0-1 in their last five inside the KeyBank Center. Even though the Sabres have not been dominant at home in the playoffs, they know they are more than capable of getting back on track in their own building. 

PICK #2: Under 6 (-120)

A relative barrage of goals in Game 3 was out of the ordinary for these two clubs – especially the Canadiens. In their first-round series against the Lightning, the last six games all featured five goals or fewer. A total of four goals were scored in the final two games. Order was restored a bit on Tuesday, when Buffalo beat Montreal 3-2 in a defensive-minded contest during which the winning team put a modest 22 shots on goal. Habs netminder Jakub Dobes was by no means lights out, but he has been fantastic in the playoffs. The 24-year-old Czech is sporting a 2.22 goals-against average and .914 save percentage through 11 postseason appearances. The under is 7-2-1 in Montreal’s last nine games, so look for that trend to continue. 

PICK #3: Josh Doan Over 0.5 Points (+100) 

Doan is on a heater for Buffalo heading into Thursday night’s showdown. The 24-year-old right winger has recorded at least one point in five consecutive contests, including a pair of assists in Game 4 against Montreal. He also contributed two points in the series opener, notching a goal and an assist. Doan lit the lamp once and assisted on another goal in Game 4 against the Bruins, so he has compiled nine points in the last seven games. The Arizona native also scored twice in four regular-season outings against the Canadiens, so this a matchup in which he has been productive for a while.