GAME DAY | Canadiens – Sabres: Preview, Prediction, Lines, Goalies, TV
Sam Gerber
Game Preview
Players to watch
Jonathan Drouin
All eyes will be on Drouin to see if he has what it takes to be the No. 1 centre the Habs have needed.
Jack Eichel
Fresh off an 80 million dollar contract Eichel will look to be the leader on his team and prove he’s worth his contract.
Victor Mete
Playing in his first regular-season NHL game, the 19 year-old Mete will have a lot a pressure on him. Having over 40 friends and family at the came will only add to the pressure. Mete was the biggest shock out of camp and will look to continue to shed the pressure. He is paired on the top pairing with Shea Weber and it will be exciting to see how he performs.
Nathan Beaulieu
Beaulieu led the Sabres in stretches this morning at practice. He will definitely try to put on a bit of a show tonight against his former team. Expect him to get involved physically if things don’t go his way early. This game means a lot to him and he is looking to get some revenge.
Charles Hudon
Hudon will want to get on the board fast. Making the Habs roster is only the beginning for him, if he hopes to stay with the club all season he’ll need to push the pace and be reliable in both ends. His chemistry with Tomas Plekanec in the preseason will have to continue which could benefit Plekanec even more than it benefits him.
Keys to Victory
Push the Pace
The Habs should be the faster team tonight and will need to use that speed to force turnovers and avoid checks.
Own the Blueline
The Sabres are a larger team and will use their size and physicality on the forecheck. If the Canadiens own both bluelines by slowing down the Sabres rushes and by making a good first pass it should eliminate the Sabres size advantage.
Capitalize on Opportunities
Last night the Jets outshot the Leafs and started the game on the power-play three times and failed to not only score but to have a high-scoring chance. The Leafs scored on their first power-play and went onto to win 7-2. The Habs will get their opportunities tonight and will have to make the most of them. Failure to do so will see the Habs struggle to stay in the game, Carey Price can only do so much.
Matchup
KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY. | October 5, 7:00 PM ET | TV: MSG-B, TSN-2, RDS
2016-17 statistics
SABRES
CANADIENS
78 (26th)
Points (NHL rank)
103 (7th)
33-37-12
Record
47-26-9
20-15-6
Home
24-12-5
13-22-6
Away
23-14-4
4-6-0
Last 10
6-3-1
2.43
GF/G
2.72
2.82
GA/G
2.41
24.5
PP%
19.7
77.6
PK%
81.1
47.24
CF%
52.54
51.92
CF/60
58.77
57.99
CA/60
53.09
Advanced statistics at 5-on-5
Projected forward lines, defense pairings and goaltenders
2016-’17 regular season: Record: 23-26-8 GAA: 2.68 Sv%: .920 SO: 2 Alternate: Chad Johnson
2016-’17 regular season: Record: 37-20-5 GAA: 2.23 Sv%: .923 SO: 3 Alternate: Al Montoya
What to Expect
Expect this to be a hard checking game with multiple scoring chances for both teams. The goalies will keep the game close and the special teams battle will decide the winner.
Prediction
I think the Habs will prevail 3-0 with the third goal being an empty net. Claude Julien’s coaching style has simplified the game down for his defence and gets the puck to the forwards a lot faster making it hard for the Sabres to control the play. Still, don’t be surprised if Buffalo comes out flying, this team has a lot to prove this season and could possibly give the Habs a run for their money.
