The recent Buffalo Sabres, seeking their fourth straight victory, will host the struggling Montreal Canadiens — who’re determined for a win — on Monday afternoon.
The Sabres adopted spectacular blowout wins over the Ottawa Senators and the New York Rangers with a 3-2 shootout victory over the Calgary Flames on Saturday.
J.J. Peterka scored the game-winning shootout purpose, whereas Tage Thompson fired residence his team-leading tenth purpose of the season within the victory.
Thompson has targets in three straight video games and will enhance his totals versus a Canadiens’ group that he has discovered success towards in his profession. The 27-year-old ahead has seven targets and 7 assists throughout 12 outings towards Montreal.
Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been pivotal to their current success. Luukkonen has allowed simply 2.25 targets per sport whereas successful six of his previous eight begins.
Head coach Lindy Ruff gave reward to his Finnish netminder following Saturday’s shootout victory.
“He is performed very properly, the group play has been higher and his play has been higher,” Ruff stated. “He is actually made key saves. You have a look at that extra time save he made for us, that allowed us to get the additional level.”
One other key to the Sabres’ current success has been their particular groups play. After failing to attain on their first 22 power-play alternatives to start out the season, Buffalo is 7 for 23 on the person benefit over their previous seven video games.
A win on Monday would give the Sabres their first four-game successful streak in 21 months.
On the different finish of the spectrum, the Canadiens fell to the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 on Saturday night time, en path to their sixth consecutive loss (0-5-1).
One brilliant spot for the Canadiens has been the play of veteran winger Brendan Gallagher. The 32-year-old scored the Canadiens’ lone purpose on Saturday, giving him seven on the season, and prolonged his goal-scoring streak to a few video games.
The 2010 fifth-round decide now ranks nineteenth all-time within the Canadiens’ goal-scoring ranks with 225 profession tallies.
Canadiens’ prime scorers Cole Caufield and captain Nick Suzuki have each been held off the scoresheet in every of the previous 4 contests.
“A few of us, myself included, are struggling to provide and discover the again of the online,” Suzuki instructed reporters after his group’s most up-to-date loss. “I count on higher from myself, I am positive the opposite guys (do) as properly. We want our entire lineup to provide.”
Together with their lack of purpose scoring, the Canadiens have struggled to maintain the puck out of their internet. They’ve allowed 29 targets over the previous six losses and scored simply 12.
The Canadiens current string of losses appears to be taking a toll on the younger squad.
“It is not nice proper now. However we’re nonetheless making an attempt to be optimistic proper now,” ahead Josh Anderson stated of the group’s emotions. “Attempting to nonetheless discover our swagger and do the appropriate issues. As soon as we discover one, we’ll be high quality.”
The Canadiens enter the matchup in final place within the Japanese Convention and have misplaced the previous two video games towards the Sabres.
–Subject Degree Media
