BUF@MTL: 500 laps for Tuna

BROSSARD - It'll be a special night for Tomas Tatar at the Bell Centre on Saturday.

The Slovak forward, who joined the Canadiens on the eve of training camp this season, will be suiting up for his 500th contest in the NHL when his team faces off against the Buffalo Sabres.
"I've been fortunate to play with great guys who have been helping me over my career lot," recalled Tatar, who has 141 goals for 279 career points with the Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, and Vegas Golden Knights. "It's a nice mark to have, but the team's goals are always first and you're trying to be the most helpful for your team."
For Tatar, there's no better place to celebrate the milestone.
"It's nice to play that game at home in front these fans and in this building," he added. "I'm really looking forward to it.
"People [in Montreal] are really nice to me; the fans are great. We're really fortunate to have a locker room like we have here, and just to play in a city like this, as a player, I'm having a lot of fun for sure."

Tatar's linemate this season, Brendan Gallagher, has gotten to see No. 90 up close game in and game out and believes his years of playing among some of the best with the Red Wings have served him well.
"He's a smart player. I think he's really enjoyed playing in front of the Montreal crowd. He spent his time in Detroit after a few years in the AHL, and then he came up and he was playing on a line with [Pavel] Datsyuk," shared Gallagher. "You could tell he's soaked a lot in - he's full of knowledge, and he anticipates plays really well. He reads plays really well. He's a super easy guy to play with. And you can tell a lot of that is a tribute to the hard work that he's put in and probably his ability to learn from the good players he was around early on in his career."

In order for Tatar to leave his 500th game with a win and help strengthen their lead on a playoff spot, the Habs will have to find a way to solve a Sabres team they have yet to beat this season. Gallagher believes his group should look to replicate the way they've come out in their two most recent wins for that to happen.
"Playing the Sabres] was so long ago and I think we've probably we'll say that we've improved; I'm sure they've they've changed a lot as a group as well. To be honest, I can't remember back to what it was in those games, but they're a good team. They play with speed, they have some young players who play aggressively, who can skate and get in your face who you have to be aware of," outlined Gallagher, who has one goal in three games against Buffalo. "For us, it shouldn't change the way we need to play. The last couple of games, we've done a good job playing our game and that's what our focus is on."
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at the Bell Centre. For tickets,
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