Buffalo Sabres prepare to unleash a more physical fourth line in Montreal with Sam Carrick

Friday might not have been a good day for the Buffalo Sabres and their fans courtesy of a 5-1 loss in Game 2 of their second-round series of the Montreal Canadiens.

But Saturday is already seeming to be a much better day as the Sabres turn their attention to navigating two games in Montreal, both of which could easily be decided by the tempo of the game, whether the Sabres can control it, and, by extension, the Bell Centre crowd.

On Saturday, head coach Lindy Ruff confirmed that forward Sam Carrick, who had been out with an arm injury since the end of March, would be eligible for selection ahead of Game 3 on Sunday night. Ruff also reiterated that Carrick had returned to practice and that he is now essentially "a day-to-day decision."

Carrick's return would be welcome news for a Sabres side that, despite missing out on the physicality that he brings, has seen forward Jordan Greenway step up in a big regard. Not only does the forward already have a goal in this series, but he also has delivered in the physicality department, recording a Richter-scale hit on Habs forward Ivan Demidov late in Game 2.

With Greenway stepping up, Carrick's return could give Ruff a unique opportunity to build a physical forward line capable of extreme damage on the offensive end of the ice.

That line might already be in production

The Sabres ran a morning practice on Saturday ahead of their departure for Montreal. One of the four lines consisted of Beck Malenstyn, Jordan Greenway, and Sam Carrick, with the latter of the three centering the line.

Tyson Kozak, who was previously on the fourth line with Greenway and Malenstyn, had featured in the final four games against the Bruins and in the first two games against the Habs. After recording an assist in Game 4 against Boston, it seems that he will be the casualty as the Sabres look to shuffle Carrick back into the roster ahead of a pivotal Game 3 in Montreal.

With a potential Greenway-Carrick-Malenstyn line comes an extremely physical trio that can easily create issues for opponents looking to push up the ice.

Such a line could better commit to winning puck battles in different areas of the ice and getting the puck up the ice. In a potential forecheck situation, this could allow the Sabres to better disrupt zone exits and quickly turn the puck over to the third forward, who would be waiting to create a scoring chance.

But could Ruff experiment with replacing Malenstyn with another winger at some point in Game 3?

While Malenstyn has long thrived in a bottom-six role, it could be time to shake things up. He's only recorded two points through the Sabres' eight postseason games thus far, which is tied with an in-form Greenway and the injured Noah Ostlund for the third-fewest points recorded during the playoffs.

Though Jason Zucker has only recorded one point so far this postseason, Malenstyn hasn't necessarily beaten the competition with regard to justifying a promotion up the order.

If I were Ruff, I would try moving Benson into the fourth-line to fill the second winger position.

While Benson and Doan have been a strong combination, the former is experiencing some strong form. Not only has he scored three goals over the last five games, but he's also recorded six total points over that span. He also hasn't recorded a negative plus/minus rating since Game 2 of the Bruins series, a similar streak to that of Greenway, who is on a five-game streak of such a nature.

It remains to be seen what kind of impact Carrick can have upon returning to the lineup or whether Ruff opts to limit his ice time to ease him back into action. But an in-form Benson and two physical forwards aren't exactly the best of news for the Habs, and all that needs to happen for the former to score his fourth goal of the playoffs is for him to get control of any kind of bounce or pass.

But if you want forechecking galore?

Then a fourth-line with Greenway, Carrick, and Zucker could cause instant carnage.

The physicality of Greenway and Carrick is extremely well noted by now, but the forechecking of Zucker would allow the Sabres to have the numbers and the build to win puck battles. By extension, Zucker's speed would allow the Sabres to be able to efficiently track down Montreal's zone breakouts and prevent them from materializing. And with the right blue-liners backing them up, such a line could also help the Sabres maintain offensive zone possession long enough to allow the top line to finish such spells with scoring chances.

In this scenario, one could move Malenstyn to the third line while moving one of Benson or Doan to the second line alongside Ryan McLeod and Jack Quinn.

Carrick's return to the roster provides Ruff with a unique yet challenging prospect: maintain the status quo and re-insert Carrick into a similar line as before? Or go all-out in an effort to build the best line possible to accommodate his capabilities while also putting the team in the best position to advance?

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