Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Game 51: Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres

Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST
In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French)
In the Sabres region: MSG Buffalo
Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, TSN+

The Montreal Canadiens’ lead over the Buffalo Sabres was reduced to three when the Sabres won a head-to-head game a week ago. However, the Canadiens have recovered with a couple of wins since, gaining ground to hold a four-point edge despite Buffalo playing three games since last Thursday. It is once again a four-point game tonight, with that gap from Montreal in third in the Atlantic Division to Buffalo in the first wild-card spot being as small as two points after tonight or as big a a six-point margin.

Samuel Montembeault will get the start as he begins to play tough teams once again. The team doesn’t have a choice but to trust both netminders with difficult opponents, because that’s all the team will play from now until the Olympic break. Montembeault has been solid with a 4-0-1 record since returning to the team in late December, and though he allowed five goals in his last game, it’s hard to put much of the blame on him given how the team performed in Ottawa. Montreal looked much better on Tuesday after a couple of days off, and life should be easier on Montembeault with improved play in front of him tonight.

Montreal Canadiens projected lineup

Left Wing
Centre
Right Wing

#20 Juraj Slafkovský
#91 Oliver Kapanen
#93 Ivan Demidov

#13 Cole Caufield
#14 Nick Suzuki
#77 Kirby Dach

#17 Josh Anderson
#24 Phillip Danault
#11 Brendan Gallagher

#76 Zachary Bolduc
#71 Jake Evans
#90 Joe Veleno

Left Defence
Right Defence

#8 Mike Matheson
#53 Noah Dobson

#47 Jayden Struble
#48 Lane Hutson

#21 Kaiden Guhle
#45 Alexandre Carrier

Starter
Backup

#35 Samuel Montembeault
#75 Jakub Dobeš

Scratched: Sammy Blais, Arber Xhekaj
Injured: Patrik Laine, Alex Newhook, Alexandre Texier

Buffalo Sabres projected lineup

Left Wing
Centre
Right Wing

Josh Doan
Tage Thompson
Alex Tuch

Jason Zucker
Ryan McLeod
Jack Quinn

Zach Benson
Noah Ostlund
Konsta Helenius

Jordan Greenway
Peyton Krebs
Beck Malenstyn

Left Defence
Right Defence

Mattias Samuelsson
Rasmus Dahlin

Owen Power
Bowen Byram

Jacob Bryson
Michael Kesselring

Starter
Backup

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Alex Lyon