Zach Metsa makes his NHL debut for the Sabres.
The Buffalo Sabres are back on the road looking to extend their winning streak to three games when they visit the Montreal Canadiens tonight at Bell Centre.
The trip to Montreal comes amid a run of six straight games against Atlantic Division opponents, which began with an 8-4 win over Ottawa at home on Wednesday and continued with a 3-0 victory over Florida on Saturday.
The next four contests will put the Sabres up against the three early-season division leaders: at the second-place Canadiens, followed by a home game against first-place Detroit and a home-and-home set against third-place Toronto.
A win tonight would pull the Sabres back to .500 after starting the season 0-3.
“Got a great opportunity to pick up ground on a lot of people,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said.
The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. Here’s what you need to know.
TV (Buffalo broadcast market): MSG
Streaming: Gotham Sports App, ESPN+ (out of market)
Radio: WGR 550 / Buffalo Sabres App
More ways to watch/listen to Sabres games
Defenseman Zach Metsa, recalled from Rochester on Thursday, is in the lineup for his NHL debut. The 27-year-old Amerks captain went undrafted and played five seasons at Quinnipiac University.
Buffalo lost forward Justin Danforth to a lower-body injury earlier this week. Jacob Bryson exited Saturday’s game following a hit into the boards which forced the defenseman into concussion protocol. And forward Beck Malenstyn is out for personal reasons.
Here’s the full projected lineup from warmups:
Buffalo’s special teams have been the catalyst of its two-game winning streak. The power play – which was 0-for-11 in three straight losses to open the season – has scored on five of seven opportunities in the last two wins, vaulting to sixth in the NHL at 27.8 percent.
Josh Doan and Jason Zucker – both of whom make their presence felt around the opposing net on the top power-play unit – each have two goals and an assist with the extra man.
The penalty kill, meanwhile, has been a season-long strength. Following a 7-for-7 day against Florida, the unit leads the NHL at a 95.7-percent success clip. Newcomer Conor Timmins leads the league in shorthanded time on ice per game (5:27) and ranks fourth in blocked shots (18).
Montreal has made a habit of playing close games of late, with its last four contests having each been decided by one goal.
The Canadiens were on a four-game winning streak – which included a last-minute regulation win over Chicago, followed by overtime wins against Seattle and Nashville – prior to falling 4-3 against the New York Rangers on Saturday.
Like the Sabres, the Canadiens are dealing with their share of injuries, including defenseman Kaiden Guhle (expected to miss four to six weeks) and forwards Patrik Laine and Kirby Dach, both of whom are day to day and didn’t participate in Monday’s morning skate.
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