The Buffalo Sabres are making their first playoff appearance since 2011 and are looking to advance past the second round for the first time since 2007. They face the Montreal Canadiens in a crucial NHL playoff series.
On May 5, Sam Carrick returned to practice after recovering from a left arm injury. Lindy Ruff, the head coach, stated, “(He’s) going to see our doctors today and thinks he’s further along than maybe I portrayed yesterday.” However, Carrick will not play in this series.
The teams split their season series 2-2, with a combined score of 13-13. Buffalo has not reached the Conference Finals since 2007, and they hope to change that this year.
In the first round against Boston, the Sabres scored one power-play goal. They will need to improve on that as they prepare for Montreal, who scored three power-play goals against Tampa Bay in their previous series.
Buffalo’s goals against average stands at 2.0 goals per game, slightly better than Montreal’s average of 2.1 goals per game. The Sabres won three of their four games with Alex Lyon in net during the first round.
Yet, Buffalo will be without key players Sam Carrick and Noah Östlund for this series. The absence of these young players could impact their performance significantly.
Key statistics:
- The Sabres have a goals against average of 2.0 goals per game.
- Montreal’s goals against average is 2.1 goals per game.
- Buffalo scored one power-play goal against Boston in the first round.
- The teams combined for 13 goals during the season series.
Rasmus Dahlin expressed concern about fan turnout, saying, “I really, really appreciate the fans that came out, but I don’t want to see that many red in the future.” This highlights the competitive atmosphere expected in this matchup.
This playoff series could mark the beginning of an exciting rivalry between two rising teams in the Atlantic Division who haven’t met in a playoff series since the late ’90s. If Buffalo continues to receive solid goaltending, they may have an edge over Montreal.
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