Montreal Canadiens @ Buffalo Sabers
How to watch
Start time: 7:00 p.m. EDT / 4:00 p.m. PDT
In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French)
In the Sabers region: MSG-Buffalo
During this season, the Canadians – who have just begun their own rebuilding – will face teams that have invested in this process for a considerable time (with varying degrees of progress). These games can serve as a measure of both what Montreal has to do and what still needs to be done for the team.
Tale of the Band
Canadians | Statistics | Sabers |
---|---|---|
Canadians | Statistics | Sabers |
3-4-0 | Registration | 4-2-0 |
44.8% (25th) | Score chance for % | 47.0% (22nd) |
2.43 (29th) | Goals per game | 3.83 (4th) |
3.00 (14th) | Goals conceded per match | 2.67 (7th) |
4.8% (31st) | PP % | 13.6% (25th) |
85.7% (8th) | PACK% | 76.2% (22nd) |
1-3-0 | H2H report (21-22) | 3-1-0 |
Thursday night’s opponent, the Buffalo Sabers, is one such team. The Sabers last made the playoffs in 2010-11. They attempted to rebuild on the fly over the next two seasons, but their combined first four rounds over those years yielded Mikhail Grigorenko, Zemgus Girgensons, Nikita Zadorov and Rasmus Ristolainen. The full commitment wasn’t made until 2014, when the Sabers used the second overall selection to take Sam Reinhart. They’ve drafted in the top 10 in every subsequent draft since, with three additional top-two selections (Jack Eichel, Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power).
At the start of the 2022-23 season, the reconstruction lasted nine drafts, five head coaches and the first three fruits of their harvest (Reinhart, Eichel and Alex Nylander) have already left the organization. Through it all, the team is yet to break the .500 mark, peaking with a .494 point percentage in 2014-15.
Could this be the year? Dahlin returned to form last season, collecting 53 points in 80 games. So far this year he has been better with nine out of six. The Sabers also invested in the future, handing out big contracts to Tage Thompson and Mattias Samuelsson. Alex Tuch, acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights as part of Eichel’s return, is advancing at a goal-per-game pace. Even past mistakes have taken a second breath: Jeff Skinner and Kyle Okposo scored over 30 and 20 goals respectively last season. Add to that mix Dylan Cozens, JJ Peterka, Owen Power, Peyton Krebs and Jack Quinn, and the Sabers just might turn the corner.
Four wins in six games to start the season, including a sweep of Western Canadian teams, would validate that impression. But there are cracks in the foundation. The Sabers managed 14 goals on five breakouts while allowing only nine…while being outmatched and outmatched considerably. One wonders what their record would look like without the exceptional performances of their goalkeeper, in particular the replacement (for now) Craig Anderson, holder of a .970 save percentage in two games. Starter Eric Comrie was no slouch either, batting .930 before Buffalo’s last game, a 5-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken, brought him down to earth.
While the Sabers try to maintain their momentum, the Canadiens try to regain theirs. Back-to-back losses to the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild dampened the mood after a final bombardment from the Arizona Coyotes. In particular, with three goals in two games, the offense has cooled off – perhaps best represented by their 1-for-21 power play. The Sabers rank 22nd in the league with a shorthanded skill of 76. .2%. Canadians will therefore have the opportunity to turn the tide.
The Habs’ weak power play may also be indicative of bigger issues when it comes to secondary scoring. In seven games, only five Canadians have more than two points, and three of them currently form the top line. In fact, the trio of Christian Dvorak, Brendan Gallagher and Evgenii Dadonov have one point – combined.
Although they started the season with a bang, it’s hard to say if the Buffalo Sabers are past their rebuild or not. That said, they certainly have enough talented players to pose a threat to any team in the league. The Canadian will have to reverse certain trends in order to return to the win column. They’d do well to take advantage of this opportunity, as a tough three-game Midwest road swing looms on the horizon.
#Canadiens #Sabers #Game #preview #start #time #tape #tale #watch