Sabres Boost Playoff Hopes as Canadiens Face Injury Setback

As the playoffs loom closer, the Buffalo Sabres have seen a slight uptick in their positioning after Saturday’s NHL results. The Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens have now exhausted their games in hand, leaving them with just two matches remaining in the regular season. According to Moneypuck.com, the Sabres have a 96.4% chance of finishing in the top two of the Atlantic Division, thereby securing home-ice advantage. The Lightning edged out the Boston Bruins 2-1 at TD Garden, closing the gap to just two points behind the Sabres for the top spot. Meanwhile, the Canadiens fell 5-2 to the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Bell Centre, remaining two points adrift of Buffalo.

The Canadiens received troubling news following their loss, as defenseman Noah Dobson has sustained an upper-body injury that will sideline him for at least two weeks. His absence could stretch into the early rounds of the playoffs. In response, Montreal has called up defenseman David Reinbacher from AHL Laval, where the former top-five pick has been a steady presence in 57 games this season.

Montreal’s next challenge comes against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on Sunday. A regulation loss for the Canadiens would allow the Sabres to secure at least second place in the Atlantic Division, guaranteeing them home ice for the opening playoff round. Buffalo can also clinch this advantage with a win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday. The Lightning will conclude their regular season with home games against the Detroit Red Wings on Monday and the New York Rangers on Wednesday, while the Sabres will host the Dallas Stars on Wednesday for Fan Appreciation Night.

In other Sabres news, if they capture the Atlantic Division title, they will face a divisional opponent in the first round of the playoffs. The Ottawa Senators clinched a wildcard spot with a decisive 3-0 victory over the Islanders on Saturday, putting them in a tie with the Bruins for the final playoff positions. The Senators currently hold the first wildcard slot due to a tiebreaker, and they will face the Atlantic Division winner, while the Carolina Hurricanes have already secured home ice through the Eastern Conference Final.

Both the Bruins and Senators are set to play on Sunday, with Boston facing a challenging matchup against the Blue Jackets and the Senators taking on the Devils in Newark. The Bruins will finish their season at home against New Jersey on Tuesday, while the Senators will host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.

The Sabres held a practice session at KeyBank Center on Sunday morning before heading to Chicago for their matchup with the last-place Blackhawks on Monday night. With Alex Lyon out for at least a week, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff is expected to alternate starts between Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and rookie Colten Ellis. Luukkonen was in the starter’s net during practice, suggesting he will likely get the nod at the United Center.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.