Cole Caufield is coming off by far the most productive offensive season of his career.
Plenty of his success came against Buffalo, which is why Caufield headlines my Canadiens vs. Sabres props for Game 1 of the highly anticipated Atlantic Division battle.
Let's take a closer look at my NHL picks for our Canadiens vs. Sabres predictions on Wednesday, May 6.
Best Canadiens vs Sabres props for Game 1
| Player | Pick |  |
|---|---|---|
 Cole Caufield |
Over 0.5 points | -150 |
 Rasmus Dahlin |
Over 2.5 shots | -150 |
| Noah Dobson |
Over 1.5 shots | +110 |
Game 1 Prop #1: Cole Caufield Over 0.5 points
Cole Caufield feasted on the Buffalo Sabres during the regular season, piling up six points over four games. That is par for the course for Caufield — he hit the scoresheet in seven of the last eight meetings, with four multi-point efforts along the way.
A matchup with the fast-paced Sabres sets up more favorably for Caufield than his opening-round series against a stingy Lightning squad.
Also working in his favor is rest. Caufield hit the scoresheet in 11 of 14 regular-season games following two days off, averaging 1.4 points per game.
Game 1 Prop #2: Rasmus Dahlin Over 2.5 shots on goal
The Montreal Canadiens allowed the fifth-most shots to defensemen in the opening round of the playoffs. They were focused on clogging up the middle of the ice and forcing shots from the perimeter, which sets up well for Rasmus Dahlin.
Buffalo's captain was a one-man shooting gallery in the first round, firing everything toward the net. He averaged 3.5 shots on eight attempts and cleared 2.5 shots in four of six.
With 24 minutes as the likely floor, he'll have plenty of opportunities to shoot.
Game 1 Prop #3: Noah Dobson Over 1.5 shots on goal
Noah Dobson returned to the lineup in Game 7 of the opening round. He started zero of his shifts in the defensive zone and was on the ice for 10 offensive zone draws.
That kind of deployment will lead to plenty of shooting opportunities, especially against the Sabres. They won a league-low 43.8% of their faceoffs in the first round, while the Canadiens won 55.6%.
Montreal has a clear edge in the dot, and a bunch of offensive zone draw wins should lead to plenty of chances for Dobson to quickly funnel pucks to the net.
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Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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