Canadiens Preview: Crucial Match-Up For Game 2 Versus Sabres

Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

The Montreal Canadiens (4-4) will face the Buffalo Sabres (5-2) in Game 2 of their second-round series on Friday, with the puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET.

The Habs dropped Game 1, though the 4-2 scoreline was a little flattering to the host Sabres, a team that scored four goals on its first nine shots. That’s not to say they did not deserve to win the game, but there were a few key factors to suggest Montreal may end up having a better fate in Game 2.

The first line, in particular, had an encouraging game, which is important, as Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky have had a very hard time making an impact at 5v5. And as we all know, a team without a functional first line is barely a team at all, especially in the playoffs.

With that in mind, we shouldn’t discount Suzuki’s impact, as he is currently leading the Canadiens in scoring with seven points in eight games.

Montreal also received important and regular offensive contributions from their depth players, a recurring theme in April and May. This was certainly not the case throughout the majority of the regular season, but fans certainly won’t look a gift horse in the mouth at this point in the schedule.

Players such as Kirby Dach, Alex Texier, and Josh Anderson have done a wonderful job supplementing the goal output, including Dach’s fantastic individual effort in Game 1.