Canadiens @ Sabres: Game thread and lines
Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
Game 55: Montreal Canadiens @ Buffalo Sabres
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST
In Canada: CityTV, Sportsnet East (English), TVA Sports (French)
In the Sabres region: MSG Buffalo
Streaming: ESPN+, Sportsnet+
The Detroit Red Wings had a rare bad game this afternoon, losing 5-0 to a Colorado Avalanche squad that clearly got tired of losing after its 7-3 defeat in Montreal. That means one of the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres will pull within one point of the Red Wings after facing each other tonight.
We should see the Canadiens hit the ice fully engaged from the opening puck drop given how the most recent game went between the clubs. Montreal just saw what a great beginning to a contest can do, enjoying one of their most comfortable wins of the season versus the league’s top team on Thursday. You can also expect the Sabres to match whatever intensity the Canadiens bring to KeyBank Center, because they enter the game on five-game winning streak, and have lost just four times since December 8.
It could very well be a playoff atmosphere in Buffalo two-thirds of the way through the season. The Sabres are well on their way to ending a 14-year post-season drought, while the Canadiens days of missing the playoffs may be done for at least the next decade. It’s entirely possible that this will be a first-round matchup between the second and third seeds in the Atlantic Division, and this is the final chance to make a statement before that would happen.
Montreal Canadiens projected lineup
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| #13 Cole Caufield | #14 Nick Suzuki | #85 Alexandre Texier |
| #20 Juraj Slafkovský | #91 Oliver Kapanen | #93 Ivan Demidov |
| #76 Zachary Bolduc | #71 Jake Evans | #77 Kirby Dach |
| #17 Josh Anderson | #24 Phillip Danault | #11 Brendan Gallagher |
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| #8 Mike Matheson | #21 Kaiden Guhle |
| #48 Lane Hutson | #53 Noah Dobson |
| #72 Arber Xhekaj | #45 Alexandre Carrier |
| Starter | Backup |
|---|---|
| #75 Jakub Dobeš | #35 Samuel Montembeault |
Scratched: Sammy Blais, Jayden Struble, Joe Veleno
Injured: Patrik Laine, Alex Newhook
Buffalo Sabres projected lineup
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Zach Benson | Tage Thompson | Alex Tuch |
| Jason Zucker | Ryan McLeod | Jack Quinn |
| Josh Doan | Noah Ostlund | Konsta Helenius |
| Tyson Kozak | Peyton Krebs | Beck Malenstyn |
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| Mattias Samuelsson | Rasmus Dahlin |
| Bowen Byram | Owen Power |
| Zach Metsa | Michael Kesselring |
| Starter | Backup |
|---|---|
| Alex Lyon | Colten Ellis |
