Allen makes 36 saves, Canadiens defeat Sabres

BUFFALO -- Jake Allen made 36 saves to help the Montreal Canadiens to a 3-1 win against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Monday.

“I think I’m just trying to get a little bit better every time right now,” Allen said. “That’s my mantra, that’s my goal. It’s not going to be perfect all the time, but I’ll try to keep this rolling. We’re at a point right now in the schedule where we’re a bit more fresh, so we’re trying to take advantage of this time. … Tonight was a big win, [found] a way to come here after another big, emotional win the other night (3-2 against the Washington Capitals). To get back on the horse sometimes isn’t easy, but I was impressed with the group. It wasn’t pretty, but we got it done.”

Tanner Pearson and Brendan Gallagher each had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens (3-1-1), who have won two in a row.

Jeff Skinner scored, and Eric Comrie made 24 saves for the Sabres (2-4-0).

“I thought their goaltender played real well tonight,” Buffalo coach Don Granato said. “I would say that we didn’t get to the net with enough conviction, enough conviction and determination. That was for me pretty evident, I guess. We generated chances. I think we had 11 power-play shots. I thought the power play actually did some decent things and didn’t score, but 5-on-5 we didn’t get to the net enough. … That was the challenge tonight.”

Justin Barron gave the Canadiens a 1-0 lead at 2:56 of the first period, skating into the right circle and shooting a rebound into an open net.

Skinner tied it 1-1 at 7:13 when his shot from below the right circle on a power play went in under the crossbar. Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin had the secondary assist on the goal, extending his point streak to five games (six assists).

Gallagher poked in a loose puck in the crease to put Montreal ahead 2-1 at 3:31 of the third period.

“I’m playing with two guys that make it really easy. Really comfortable playing with them,” Gallagher said of his line with Pearson and Sean Monahan. “The line seems to be working right now, and I’m healthy. It’s one of those things where you just hope it keeps going.”

Canadiens defenseman David Savard had a game-high five of Montreal’s 17 blocked shots.

“It’s unbelievable,” Gallagher said of Savard. “It takes a lot of courage. He’s been doing it for a long time. I can’t really explain how it makes the guys on the bench feel to have a guy like that on your team.”

Pearson made it 3-1 at 16:53 with a one-timer from the left hash marks on a power play.

“It’s frustrating, but I think as soon as you let frustration set in, negativity, you’re never going to get out of it,” Buffalo forward Tage Thompson said. “I think goals come in waves. I think a lot of times they come, like I said, in waves and you get streaky. You’ve just got to do the right things every shift. I thought tonight we did. Obviously, that’s why that one hurts so much. But we can’t change anything. We got to play like that.

“That’s two games we’ve strung together in a row now that I think we took away the will of the other team, had them kind of defeated mentally. And obviously, they get one in the third there, it gives them some life. But we keep playing like that, that’s a winning recipe. We’re going to win a lot of games playing like that.”

NOTES: Gallagher has 18 goals in his career against Buffalo, his most against any opponent. … Barron scored his sixth NHL goal, becoming one of 10 defensemen in Montreal history with at least that many at the age of 21 or younger. … Dahlin’s assist streak matches the longest such streak of his career, which he’s accomplished three times previously. … Sabres forward Dylan Cozens extended his point streak to four games (two goals, three assists). … Skinner has scored 24 goals in 39 games against Montreal, his most against any opponent.