Sabres News: Game 2 lineup vs. Habs, jersey sponsor, series odds

The Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens will play the second game of their Round 2 playoff series on Friday night at the KeyBank Center.

Buffalo scored a 4-2 victory in the series opener on Wednesday on the strength of goals by Josh Doan, Ryan McLeod, Jordan Greenway and Bowen Byram. Zach Benson also stood out with two assists, while goalie Alex Lyon made 26 saves in the win.

The Habs will be aiming for a much stronger performance in Game 2, especially in terms of finishing the high-danger chances they're able to create in the offensive zone. They also need a bounce-back outing from Jakub Dobes between the pipes after stopping just 12 of 16 shots in Game 1.

Let's check out some notable updates as the Sabres attempt to build a 2-0 series lead.

No changes expected to Buffalo's Game 2 lineup

Lindy Ruff is an old-school coach who generally prefers not to adjust a winning lineup. It's something that worked well for him throughout the Sabres' surge up the Eastern Conference standings during the regular season, and he's stuck with it in the playoffs.

In turn, fourth-line center Sam Carrick will remain sidelined Friday as he nears a return from injury, though Ruff noted if it was a Game 7 situation the decision might have be different.

"If I can give him a couple extra days, I think we’ll get rewarded for it," Ruff told reporters.

Tyson Kozak will continue to center Greenway and Beck Malenstyn. The line helped set the tone with a few high-energy shifts early in Game 1, and Greenway scored a key goal in the second period.

Here's a complete look at how the Sabres will line up in Game 2, via Rachel Lenzi of the Buffalo News:

Captain Rasmus Dahlin took a shot to the back of his leg in the final minutes of the series opener and, while his status never appeared in doubt, he's indeed in line to play on Friday.

Sabres announce jersey sponsor for 2026-27 season

Stark Tech, a company focused on energy management and solutions, reached an agreement with the Sabres to serve as the club's away jersey sponsor for next season. It's headquarters are in the Buffalo suburb of Williamsville.

"This is an exciting and important time for our organization on both the team and business sides," Pete Guelli, the NHL team's President of Business Operations, said. "We felt it was important to be patient and intentional in finding the right partner to be represented on our jerseys. Ultimately, Stark Tech emerged as the best fit for where we are today and where we are headed."

The company's logo will appear on the front of the club's road jerseys near the right shoulder beginning next fall.

"It is a multiyear deal that industry experts estimate is worth more than $2 million," the Buffalo News reported.

The Sabres' new deal leaves the Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks are the only teams without at least one jersey sponsor.

Canadiens under pressure on Friday night

Although the Sabres and Habs are preparing for just the series' second game, Montreal is already facing a fair amount of pressure.

That's mostly because Buffalo was a slight favorite entering the battle of Atlantic Division rivals, and the Blue and Gold's chances of advancing now stand at 75%, per HockeyStats.com. That number will jump up again with a win on Friday night.

The Canadiens want to avoid heading back to their home rink, the Bell Centre, having to win both games just to avoid an elimination contest when the series returns to Buffalo for Game 5 (if necessary).

Meanwhile, the Sabres odds of winning the Stanley Cup have steadily climbed to 12%. They are behind only the Carolina Hurricanes (35%), Colorado Avalanche (29%) and Vegas Golden Knights (16%) in HockeyStats.com's ranking of the top championship contenders.

The Canes and Avs have certainly looked a step or two above the rest of the NHL field so far, but that doesn't mean a Carolina vs. Colorado matchup in the Cup Final is a fait accompli.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow