The Buffalo Sabres will play the Montreal Canadiens tonight at Bell Centre, aiming to extend their current winning streak to three games. This matchup is part of a stretch of six consecutive games against Atlantic Division opponents. The Sabres began this run with an 8-4 win over Ottawa and followed it with a 3-0 victory over Florida.
After facing the Canadiens, who are currently in second place in the division, the Sabres will host first-place Detroit and then play a home-and-home series against third-place Toronto. A win tonight would bring Buffalo’s record to .500 after starting the season with three losses.
“Got a great opportunity to pick up ground on a lot of people,” said Sabres coach Lindy Ruff.
The game is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. Fans in the Buffalo broadcast market can watch on MSG, while out-of-market viewers can stream via the Gotham Sports App or ESPN+. Radio coverage will be available on WGR 550 and the Buffalo Sabres App.
Defenseman Zach Metsa, recently called up from Rochester, will make his NHL debut tonight. Metsa, 27, previously captained the Rochester Americans and played five seasons at Quinnipiac University. The Sabres are dealing with several injuries: forward Justin Danforth is out with a lower-body injury, Jacob Bryson left Saturday’s game due to a hit that placed him in concussion protocol, and Beck Malenstyn is unavailable for personal reasons.
Buffalo’s special teams have played a key role in their recent success. After failing to score on the power play during their first three games, the team has converted five of seven opportunities in their last two wins, moving them to sixth in the NHL with a 27.8 percent success rate. Josh Doan and Jason Zucker each have contributed two goals and an assist on the power play. The penalty kill unit leads the league with a 95.7 percent success rate, helped by newcomer Conor Timmins who leads the NHL in shorthanded ice time per game and ranks fourth in blocked shots.
Montreal has been involved in several close games recently, with each of its last four contests decided by one goal. Their previous four-game winning streak ended with a 4-3 loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday. The Canadiens are also facing injuries: defenseman Kaiden Guhle is expected to miss four to six weeks, while forwards Patrik Laine and Kirby Dach are day-to-day and did not participate in Monday’s morning skate.
