Game Preview | 5 things to know ahead of Sabres vs. Canadiens
Eric Comrie will start in goal for the 2nd straight game.
Eric Comrie will make his second straight start in goal for the Buffalo Sabres when they host the Montreal Canadiens at KeyBank Center on Monday.
Comrie made 24 saves and carried a shutout late into the third period of the Sabres’ 3-1 win over the New York Islanders on Saturday, his season debut. Devon Levi had started the first four games of the season but is currently nursing a lower-body injury.
“[Comrie] was real good Saturday and earned it today, really,” Sabres coach Don Granato said. “... He should be very confident going in with the work he put in.”
Tickets for tonight are available here.
Coverage on MSG begins at 6:30 p.m. with faceoff scheduled for 7 on MSG and WGR 550. The game will be broadcast on NHL Network outside of the Buffalo market.
Here are five things to know ahead of tonight’s game.
Levi did not participate in the morning skate due to his injury. The goaltender initially missed practice last Friday but skated the following morning prior to the game against the Islanders.
Granato said the team is being cautious to give Levi the rest he needs for his injury to fully resolve. Levi is not expected to play Tuesday in Ottawa.
“We don’t expect it to be much longer and certainly not long-term,” Granato said. “But because it’s nagging, you don’t want to aggravate it. You want him to have enough rest so it heals completely. It’s one of those deals that can linger if you don’t take the time to resolve it.”
The Sabres are taking the same approach with fellow rookie Zach Benson, who did participate in the morning skate Monday but will be out with a lower-body injury.
“He could probably play with it, but it’s close enough that it’s probably going to resolve, and we’ll evaluate that again tomorrow,” Granato said.
The Sabres skated Monday morning with the same lines and pairs from their win over the Islanders:
October 23 vs. MTL
Forwards
Jordan Greenway
Tage Thompson
Dylan Cozens
Jeff Skinner
Casey Mittelstadt
Alex Tuch
JJ Peterka
Peyton Krebs
Victor Olofsson
Zemgus Girgensons
Tyson Jost
Kyle Okposo
Defensemen
Goaltenders
Rasmus Dahlin
Mattias Samuelsson
Eric Comrie
Owen Power
Henri Jokiharju
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Connor Clifton
Erik Johnson
Granato felt the Sabres played to their identity on Saturday. They outshot the Islanders 43-25, benefitted from a consistent presence in front of the opposing net, and stayed committed defensively until the offense finally broke through with a pair of goals late in the second period.
Granato said the message on Monday is to repeat those habits.
“We have to play, as I often say, simple, hard and direct, and not complicated,” he said.
Jeff Skinner, Mattias Samuelsson, and Dylan Cozens scored goals in the win while Casey Mittelstadt tallied a pair of assists.
Don Granato addresses the media
Rasmus Dahlin enters Monday riding a four-game point streak. His five assists this season lead the Sabres and are tied for first among NHL defensemen.
Montreal defeated Washington 3-2 on Saturday on the strength of a 31-save performance from Jake Allen and an overtime goal from Cole Caufield.
Caufield has notched at least a point in each of the Canadiens’ first four games. He leads Montreal with five points and is tied with offseason addition Alex Newhook with a team-high three goals.
Allen is expected to start in goal.
