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

Game Preview

A Look Back

The Canadiens set the tone early, in front of a half-filled Bell Centre, with Josh Anderson scoring first before the game was three minutes old. Montreal used their speed to take advantage of the Maple Leafs’ defence and some shaky goaltending to run up a five goal lead by the end of the second period. Toronto scored twice in 45 seconds in the third, but it was not enough.

Last game: MTL 5 TOR 2 F

For a complete game recap: Unstoppable! | RECAP: TOR @ MTL

Players to Watch

Rem Pitlick
Since being claimed on waiver on January 12th, Pitlick has eight points, on four goals and four assists, in 15 games. Pitlick is currently sporting a very lofty 25.0 percent shooting percentage.
Mike Hoffman
After experiencing a six-game goalless drought, Hoffman has two goals in the past four games. That brings the 32-year-old winger to nine goals on the season with just three coming via the power-play.
Nick Suzuki
Suzuki flattened Leafs defenceman Justin Holl near the end of the second period in Monday’s game. Jason Spezza took exception to the clean hit. In the resulting scrum, all four Habs skaters on the ice stood up for Suzuki which was encouraging to see.

Keys to Victory

Win a faceoff
The Canadiens have struggled at the faceoff dot this week managing just a 41 percent success rate against both the Maple Leafs and Islanders. Fortunately, the Sabres are ranked as the worst faceoff team in the league.
Defend top line
The Sabres top line recorded nine points in their last matchup against the Canadiens on Super Bowl Sunday including a four-goal performance by Jeff Skinner. The Habs third line will likely get the assignment to shut down the Sabres top producers.
Play with confidence
With three wins in a row, fun has returned and the energy is high. The Canadiens head coach has talked about “building swagger” as being vital for success in the NHL.

Statistical Matchup for Game 51
Bell Centre, Montreal, QC \| February 23, 7:30 PM ET \| TV: SN1, SNE, RDS, ESPN+, MSG-B
	2021-22 statistics
SABRES	2021-22 statistics	CANADIENS
40 (27th)	Points (rank)	29 (32nd)
16-27-8	Record	11-33-7
L3	Streak	W3
3-6-1	Last 10	3-7-0
3.58 (4th)	GF/G (rank)	2.26 (32nd)
2.73 (6th)	GA/G (rank)	3.86 (32nd)
19.6 (16th)	PP% (rank)	12.7 (31st)
76.8 (23rd)	PK% (rank)	74.1 (30th)
46.3	Faceoff %	48.0

Pre-game Quotes
Marty St. Louis ” I thought [Mike Hoffman] was the best player on the ice versus Toronto in the first period.”
Projected Forwards, Defense and Goaltenders (subject to change)
Forwards
Skinner – Thompson – Tuch Krebs – Cozens – Olofsson Asplund – Mittelstadt – Okposo Bjork – Eakin – Hayden	Caufield – Suzuki – Anderson Hoffman – Dauphin – Gallagher R. Pitlick – Evans – Byron Pezzetta – Poehling – Lehkonen
Defensemen
Bryson – Jokiharju Samuelsson – Fitzgerald Hagg – Pysk	Kulak – Petry Chiarot – Romanov Clague – Wideman
Out of the lineup
Scratched: Injured: Girgensons, Hinostroza, Caggiula, Quinn, Miller, Dahlin COVID-19:	Scratched: Paquette Injured: T. Pitlick (undisclosed), Armia (facial injury), Dvorak (upper-body), Savard (ankle), Allen (lower-body), Drouin (wrist), Perreault (lower-body), Edmundson (back), Price (knee), Weber (multiple injuries) COVID-19: Schueneman
Goalies
Craig Anderson	Sam Montembeault

Record: 6-5-0 GAA: 2.91 Sv%: .909 SO: 0 Alternate: Dustin Tokarski	Record: 4-10-4 GAA: 3.71 Sv%: .898 SO: 0 Alternate: Andrew Hammond

Game Expectations

The Sabres have had their way with the Canadiens this season, winning all three games so far and heavily out-scoring them 14-5. This will be the final match of the season against their divisional rival and the last Canadiens home game until March 12th.

Bottom Line

The Canadiens are rolling and, for fans, it’s been a breath of fresh air to watch entertaining hockey. But this recent success has been received with mixed emotions as the six-point climb may begin to impact their draft placement.

Video Highlights

Follow @AllHabs on Twitter

1 COMMENT

little molly et ami February 23, 2022 At 6:26 pm

salut-bien chers amis allhabs,
merci pour les notes,
playing better,and winning,,,draft lotterry???
hmmm,
“we play to lose,to get a higher pick?”
unthinkable/inpensable!!!
we are pros.
we play for our sweaterCH.
we play for our fans.
we play for our teamates.
we play for all our elders past et present,,,
we play to win.integrite first,always!!!
point a la ligne.
intention sincere is rewarded
bonne match a soir
portez-vous tous bien
familleCH,malgres le tout
guyCH10 soit toujours avec-nous en prieres et pensees

Comments are closed.