1. Can Canadiens secondary scoring continue?
Cole Caufield scored 51 goals in the regular season but has just one through nine playoff games. He did show signs of life during Game 2 against the Sabres including a blistering one-timer that clanked off the cross bar, went straight down, yet somehow stayed out of the net.
Fortunately for Montreal, the supporting cast has done an outstanding job of supplying offense. Eleven other players have scored at least one goal for the Canadiens in the postseason, including Alex Newhook who has three in the past three games.
"It's important," Newhook said. "In the playoffs, depth is huge. A lot of times, your top guys get the other team's best checkers. So you need depth. And it's got to be a different guy a lot of nights. So that's a big part of our team, and something we need to keep going."
2. Managing the Bell Centre
The Sabres have experienced some wild crowds so far in the playoffs, none more crazy that the atmosphere in Game 1 at home in their first-round series against the Bruins, their first playoff game in 15 years.
But the Bell Centre tends to be a different animal. The last time the Canadiens made the second round in 2021, pandemic restrictions forced them to cap the tickets sold for home games.
"I think it's going to be an electric atmosphere for sure," Malenstyn said. "You play here on a Saturday night in the regular season, and it feels like the roof's going to come off, so I can't imagine it's going to be any different if not louder. So I think we're very excited to just get out there and feel that energy and play in front of it."
And, assuming that happens, there's a best-case scenario for the Sabres.
"I'd love to shut down the crowd by putting one in the back of the net right away," Ruff said.
"… I've been in this building before in the playoffs and the energy is incredible. I think it's something you've got to embrace. You get to play in one of hockey's hotbeds and you get to play in the playoffs and the crowd is going to be tremendous."
3. Tage's troubles
There was no question that Tage Thompson had a rough Game 2. He was minus-4, had one shot on goal, and struggled in multiple facets, notably with puck handling. It was the forward's turnover that directly led to the fourth goal of the game for the Canadiens.
Thompson had 81 points (40 goals, 41 assists) in 81 regular-season games. In his eight playoff games, he has seven points (two goals, five assists), but all of those came in the first round and both goals came in a comeback win against the Bruins in Game 1. He hasn't scored since.
"He's an ultimate professional," Malenstyn said. "He's one of the leaders on our team. Works at his craft every single day, is extremely detailed in what he does, and absolutely no doubts that he's going to come out there and put his best performance forward. We have all the trust in him."
And all the trust in him being able to get back to being the player he was all regular season.
"I observed a great practice yesterday, skated well, moved well," Ruff said. "He was not happy with his game and we've moved on. We've hit reset and we're moving on to the next game."
