Sabres Gear Up to Face Canadiens in Second Round Challenge

The Buffalo Sabres find themselves in an unexpected position as they prepare to take on the Montreal Canadiens in the second round of the playoffs. After a thrilling Game 7 that saw the Canadiens upset the favored Tampa Bay Lightning, the Sabres are ready to embrace the challenge ahead. Despite outshooting the Canadiens 29-9 in that decisive match, it was Alex Newhook’s third-period goal that secured Montreal’s victory, sending the Lightning home early for the fourth consecutive postseason.

“Sometimes playoffs are just about winning the game. It’s not how you get it done,” said Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff on Monday. He emphasized the importance of finding ways to win, noting that the Canadiens did just that in their Game 7 triumph. “You got a crazy goal. You haven’t had a lot of opportunities… Sometimes it doesn’t look real pretty, but you got to find ways to win games in the playoffs, and they found a way to win Game 7.”

The Sabres and Canadiens split their regular-season series, each team winning once at home. The Sabres have shown resilience on the road during the playoffs, winning all three of their games in Boston while limiting the Bruins to just three goals at TD Garden. However, replicating that success in Montreal, known for its passionate fanbase, will be a formidable task.

“I think you (have to) manage the puck well and don’t give them the start they want. That’ll be a high-energy building for sure,” Ruff said. He reflected on the electric atmosphere in Montreal, acknowledging the excitement of playing in such a historic venue. “It’s one of the great places to play hockey, to be there for a game where you’re the home team or the road team. I couldn’t wait when I started my career to play in Montreal, because of the history of that place.”

On the injury front, Ruff provided updates on his players. Center Noah Ostlund has been ruled out for the second round due to a lower-body injury sustained in Game 5. While Ruff had initially indicated that veteran center Sam Carrick would also miss Round 2, he shared that Carrick is feeling better and may practice with the team on Tuesday, pending medical clearance. Additionally, Justin Danforth, who has been sidelined since mid-October with a broken kneecap, is making progress and could potentially return if the Sabres advance further in the playoffs.

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