BUF@MTL: What you need to know

MONTREAL -- The Canadiens (9-8-1) conclude their two-game homestand with a matchup against the Sabres (7-11-0) at the Bell Centre.

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Here's everything you need to know heading into the game:
1. The Canadiens snapped a two-game losing skid over the weekend with a thrilling 5-4 shootout victory over the Flyers. Cole Caufield scored the game-tying goal with 1.9 seconds remaining in regulation. Caufield's second tally of the night sent the fans into a frenzy, before Nick Suzuki netted the shootout-winner on a slick maneuver around goaltender Carter Hart. Christian Dvorak and Mike Matheson also scored for Montreal. Matheson was making his Canadiens debut after missing the first 17 games of the season with a strained abdominal muscle. Jake Allen turned aside 25 of 29 shots to improve to 6-6-0 on the year. Joel Armia returns to the lineup after missing the last three games with an upper-body injury. Mike Hoffman is sidelined with a lower-body injury. Allen gets the start again.

2.Suzuki added another two assists to his resume against Philadelphia, both of which merit another look. The Habs' captain's backhand feed to Matheson from below the goal line was a thing of beauty, before he later found Caufield with a perfect cross-ice feed with time winding down. Suzuki has a team-leading 12 helpers alongside linemate Kirby Dach, four clear of Caufield and five more than Sean Monahan.

3.The Sabres suffered their eighth straight loss on Saturday night, falling 5-2 to the Maple Leafs in Toronto. Don Granato's squad hasn't won since Nov. 2. Tage Thompson leads the visitors in scoring with 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists), while Rasmus Dahlin ranks second with 20 points (7 goals, 13 assists). Alex Tuch sits third in that department with 16 points (9 goals, 7 assists). Winger Jeff Skinner is always a threat against Montreal. He boasts more goals (21) and points (35) versus the CH than any other team over the course of his career. For his part, captain Kyle Okposo continues to recover from a lower-body injury.
4.This is the second meeting of the season between Montreal and Buffalo. The Canadiens earned a 3-2 triumph on October 27 at KeyBank Center. Josh Anderson scored the game-winning goal with 3:46 left in the third period, blasting a slap shot past netminder Eric Comrie.

5. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET. You can watch the game on TSN2, MSG Buffalo, NHL Network and RDS, and listen on the radio on TSN 690 and 98,5 fm.
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to purchase tickets to the game. Following the contest, the Canadiens will travel to Columbus where they'll face the Blue Jackets on Wednesday night to begin a two-game road trip that also includes a stop in Chicago.