Buffalo Sabres (6-5) at Montreal Canadiens (7-5)
Puck Drop: 8:00 PM | Bell Centre | Montreal, Québec
TV: ABC
Radio: WGR 550
Know Your Opponent
Montreal Canadiens
Record: 48-24-10 | 106 PTS
Division Ranking: 3rd in Atlantic Division
Last Game: 6-3 Win vs Sabres
PP: 22.9% | Sabres 14.3%
PK: 78.7% | Sabres 78.9%
What to Watch
1. Do or Die
Buffalo has their backs against the wall. Their entire season hinges on another trip to the Bell Centre. On the bright side, they are significantly more successful on the road in the playoffs than at home. They’ve won 4 of 5 road playoff games compared to 2 of 6 home games. Lindy Ruff opted to not have the team report to the rink yesterday and may not have a morning skate today. He’s allowing the team to regroup, reset, and focus solely on leaving it all on the ice. They have the ability, but it will be the most difficult game of the season. Montreal is eager to close out in front of their fans. The Sabres must bring a level of desperation they haven’t needed yet this season. It’s now or never.
2. Power’s Health
Power crashed hard into the boards during game 5 which looked to give him a lower body injury. He returned to the game, but it’s unclear what was injured and how it will affect him. Lindy Ruff said Power told him that he feels better than he thought he would. It’s encouraging to hear but doesn’t alleviate concerns. Outside of a game or two, Power has been a stud for Buffalo in the playoffs. In particular, Game 4 was a great showcase of his impact. The Sabres will take any version of Power they can get, but they’re certainly hoping his injury doesn’t limit his effectiveness.
3. Off the Top
It’s been said all series: the Sabres need more from their top guys. At 5-on-5 in this series, Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch have been outscored 8-1 and 8-0 respectively. The positive spin is that they’re due for a rebound. Both have been in big moments before and are no stranger to pressure. Thompson experienced the Olympics this year and had the golden goal in the World Championships last year. Tuch had deep playoff runs with Vegas 3 of his 4 seasons there. They’re fully capable and prepared for this moment. It’s a matter of execution. Ruff may be wise to shuffle the lines a little bit. As great as they are together, one of Benson or Doan moved to the Thompson/Tuch line could help bring them out of their current funk.
Projected Lineups
Buffalo Sabres
Forwards
Krebs – Thompson – Tuch
Benson – Norris – Doan
Zucker – Helenius – Quinn
Greenway – McLeod – Malenstyn
Defense
Samuelsson – Dahlin
Byram – Power
Stanley – Timmins
Starter: Lyon
Montreal Canadiens
Forwards
Caufield – Suzuki – Slafkovsky
Newhook – Evans – Demidov
Texier – Danault – Anderson
Bolduc – Dach – Veleno
Defense
Matheson – Carrier
Hutson – Dobson
Xhekaj – Guhle
Starter: Dobeš