GAME DAY PREVIEW | Montreal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres: Preview, TV, Start Time, Statistical Match-up, Projected Lines, Starting Goalies, Keys to Victory, Habs Tickets

A Look Back

Entertaining would be an understatement; this contest with the Flyers was neck-and-neck until the third period. In the dying seconds, Cole Caufield scored the tying goal with 1.9 seconds left, sending the game to overtime. Mike Matheson scored in his debut, Arber Xhekaj threw some knuckles with Nicolas Deslauriers and Nick Suzuki pulled off a magical move in the shoot-out to send the Flyers packing.

Last game: MTL 4  CBJ 6  F

For a complete game recap: Shootout Thriller | RECAP: PHI @ MTL

Players to Watch

• Mike Matheson
  The 6-foot-2-inch defenseman had to shake some cobwebs off in his return to the ice. There were a few questionable moments, but when he netted his goal, the confidence was flowing which resulted in commendable defense for the remainder of his home-coming.
• Cole Caufield
  The Wisconsin stud continues to be paramount in clutch moments. Although he was held pointless in the two losses prior, he made up for it against the Flyers scoring two critical goals and picking up an apple. Caufield should continue to take advantage with his powerful shot tallying up the points as his season high trek moves along with 19 points through 18 games.
• Jordan Harris
  It was a very questionable move sitting the 22-year-old defenseman for Matheson’s return. Nicolas Deslauriers’ presence could have played a factor in keeping Arber Xhekaj in the lineup Saturday night. Harris has been playing smooth, calm and confident hockey and picked up a goal against the Blue Jackets November 17th. Back in the lineup tonight, Harris will want to prove more why he deserves a spot in the roster.

Keys to Victory

• Show no quit
  The Canadiens demonstrated why you should never stop skating until the final buzzer. The team did a fantastic job setting up in the offensive zone in the dying seconds of the game Saturday night and this type of offensive pressure should be a focus in their matchup versus the Sabres.
• Make smart passes
  Cleaning up the break-out and transitioning through the neutral zone are a couple of points the team needs to focus on. The Canadiens team had a total of 27 giveaways against the Flyers to their five take-aways. Moving the puck with confidence will be a key factor in a victory against Buffalo.
• Gain momentum from special teams
  Although the Habs should focus on playing an unblemished game of hockey, they are tied for seventh with a very resilient penalty kill. Penalties are occasionally unavoidable but being able to shut a team down with a man-advantage is a fantastic way to swing the momentum.

2022-23  statistics

• “What I encourage on my line is to say that the better we do our job in our zone, the more time we will have with the puck to go play on offense.”

Bottom Line