Numbers Game: Canadiens @ Sabres

BUFFALO -- Here's a numerical look at Thursday's regular season opening 3-2 shootout win at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo.

2 -- Number of consecutive years now that the Habs have opened the regular season opposite the Sabres in Buffalo. Montreal were winners of a 4-1 outing in Western New York a year ago to start the 2016-17 campaign, and overall the two teams have met seven times in their season openers.
2 -- Number of ex-Habs on the ice for Buffalo, as Nathan Beaulieu and Benoit Pouliot both suited up against their former team. Josh Gorges is also on the Sabres roster, but was one of the night's scratches on Thursday.
50 -- Approximate number of family and friends Canadiens rookie Victor Mete had in attendance at the KeyBank Center to see him make his NHL debut.

4 -- Number of consecutive season openers with at least a point for Habs captain Max Pacioretty, dating back to 2014-15. On Thursday, Pacioretty extended that streak with the Canadiens' first goal of the 2017-18 campaign, on the power play at 17:56 in the first. He also added an assist on Phillip Danault's third-period equalizer.
1 -- Number of games it took Jonathan Drouin to get on the scoresheet as a Hab. The former Tampa forward earned his first assist of the season on Pacioretty's marker, with a secondary helper going to Brendan Gallagher.

4 -- Total number of newcomers who made their Canadiens debuts on Thursday, as Karl Alzner and Ales Hemsky joined Drouin and Mete in that category.
3,470 -- Number of days separating Mark Streit's last two regular season outings in a Habs uniform. Prior to Thursday, the two-time Canadiens defenseman had previously represented the club on April 5, 2008.
1 -- Number of shorthanded goals scored leaguewide in 2017-18. Danault got the first of the new season on the second night of NHL action while down a man in the third.