Buffalo Sabers goaltender Devon Levi (27) celebrates with Tage Thompson (72) after the team's victory against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday in Montreal. AP photo
MONTREAL (AP) — Buffalo rookie Devon Levi made 32 saves in his first game at his hometown Bell Center to help the Sabers beat the Montreal Canadiens 6-1 on Thursday night.
Levi, 22, originally from Dollard-des-Ormeaux, grew up watching the Canadiens and idolizing goaltender Carey Price.
Tage Thompson had two goals and an assist, Jeff Skinner added a goal and three assists, Casey Mittelstadt and Jack Quinn each had a goal and an assist and Rasmus Dahlin scored into an empty net. The Sabers improved to 16-19-4.
Joel Armia scored for Montreal and Jake Allen stopped 32 shots. Returning from a seven-game road trip, the Canadiens fell to 16-17-5.
Levi stopped all 15 shots in the first period and looked ready after a particularly long morning practice before the game for “Take everything into account.”
“I've been in this building a few times, watched Carey Price, watched hockey games growing up,” said Levi, who played two seasons at Northeastern. “It was cool to be on the ice this time, to be in the crease.”
Mittelstadt completed a pass from Skinner on a power play to open the scoring at 5:33 of the first period. Skinner doubled the lead with another power play goal 1:26 seconds later after Mitchell Stephens received an interference call.
Skinner, 31, took a cross-ice pass from Tuch before beating Allen for his 26th goal against the Canadiens – tied with Toronto center Auston Matthews for second among active players.
Armia got a shorthanded goal back, taking the puck from Dahlin and using him as a screen on a wrist shot over Levi's left shoulder with 6:41 left in the period.
Buffalo crushed Montreal's momentum in the third period with even-strength goals from Quinn and Thompson, who made it 4-1 at 8:35 by taking a pass from Skinner.
Levi prevented Montreal from recovering with a point-blank save on Josh Anderson a few minutes later.
After Dahlin scored an empty-net goal with more than five minutes to play, Levi did it again, this time showing the glove to Cole Caufield.
FOLLOWING
Sabres: At Pittsburgh on Saturday night.
Canadiens: host the New York Rangers on Saturday night.