Buffalo Sabres Opponent Outlook: Montreal Canadiens

We all know that last season was basically a dreadful one for the Buffalo Sabres – but when they faced the Montreal Canadiens, things looked bright.

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The Sabres won three of four meetings with the Habs last season, outscoring them 10-8. Two of the games between the teams went to a shootout, with Buffalo winning one of those games.

The first meeting would be a 2-1 win for the Habs on November 5, their only victory over the Sabres last season. PA Parenteau scored in regulation, while Drew Stafford tallied for Buffalo. Brian Gionta scored the lone goal for Buffalo in the shootout, while Alex Galchenyuk and Parenteau scored in the shootout to give Montreal the extra point.

Next time, just a few weeks later, it was Buffalo’s turn to come out on top 2-1. That was the night that Tyler Ennis scored that wild goal against Carey Price, as seen below.

Matt Moulson also scored for Buffalo, while once again it was Parenteau tallying for the Habs. Jhonas Enroth had 30 saves, and Buffalo won 2-1, but the real highlight of that evening was Ennis’ goal.

Just one day after, the teams met again, this time in Montreal. Zemgus Girgensons, Chris Stewart and Brian Flynn scored for Buffalo, while Montreal had tallies from Brendan Gallagher, Lars Eller and Max Pacioretty. Tied at three, the teams headed to a shootout, where Flynn notched the game-winning goal, giving the struggling Sabres back-to-back wins against a difficult Habs squad.

The last meeting of the season between the two teams came in February, when Buffalo took a 3-2 decision over the Habs.

Stafford, Moulson and Gionta scored for Buffalo, while Brandon Prust and Desharnais tallied for Montreal.

The Habs made one trade this offseason, on July 1st. They sent Brandon Prust to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for former Buffalo Sabres forward Zack Kassian and a 5th-round draft pick in 2016. It may be a gamble, and only time will tell if Kassian can produce in a deep hockey city like Montreal – or if he’ll even get a fair chance at the NHL level.

Other new arrivals: Alexander Semin, who signed via free agency from Carolina Hurricanes, a new addition that could be a big one for the Habs if he can step up to the plate, and Mark Barberio, previously with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Departures: Eric Tangradi, gone to Detroit; Davis Drewiskie, off to Philadelphia, and PA Parenteau, who signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Among others returning to the Habs this season are Alex Galchenyuk, Jarred Tinordi, Michael Bournival and Christian Thomas, all of whom re-signed with Montreal in the offseason.

The Canadiens are one of the teams the Sabres see most this season, as the teams face off five times.

It all begins in Buffalo on October 23, the Sabres’ fifth home game of the season. That will be the only meeting until February; then the two will meet four times in a span of a month and a half. They’ll face off in Montreal on February 3 before reconvening in Buffalo nine days later, on February 12. They’ll meet again in Montreal on March 10th before closing out the season series in Buffalo on March 16.

Of course, as usual, the biggest player to watch for the Montreal Canadiens isn’t a forward or a defenseman; it’s goaltender Carey Price, arguably Montreal’s best asset and one of the keys to their success. Solve Price, and you’ve got a chance to win. Can the Sabres, with guys like Ryan O’Reilly, Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart, take on the challenge?

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