The Buffalo Sabres seek a sixth straight win when they face the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday at 7 p.m. at KeyBank Center.
During their 20-3-1 run (since Dec. 9), the Sabres lead the NHL in wins and team save percentage (.919), and they rank second in both goals per game (3.92) and goals against per game (2.38). They’ve also led the league in points percentage at home (.850) and on the road (.857). Across the board, they’re clicking on cylinders and enjoying it, too.
“We’ve got some swag right now, I would call it,” said defenseman Michael Kesselring. “I think everybody’s happy coming to the locker room, and we’re having so much fun together right now.”
Dominant as third-place Buffalo has been, the standings remain tight in both directions. The Red Wings sit three points ahead in the Atlantic Division (with two more games played), and the Canadiens and Bruins currently match the Sabres’ 67 points. And as goalie Alex Lyon cautioned, speaking from his experience in Detroit the last two seasons, a promising playoff push can quickly be derailed.
That said, as the Sabres prepare for the Canadiens, whom they’ve beaten twice in the last two weeks, they’re confident they’ve got the urgency to continue climbing.
“We’re not just gonna go for the playoffs, we’re gonna go for the Cup, and that’s our goal: get better each and every day,” forward Alex Tuch said after his hat trick Thursday versus Los Angeles. “We’re not in here just to squeak in; we’re in here to try to keep winning.
“We’re chasing a couple really good teams in Detroit and Tampa right now, and we know each game is going to be playoff-like hockey. Now we have Montreal chasing us, so they’re gonna come to play on Saturday, and we’ve got to bring our A-game. And we’re gonna be ready to win.”
Here’s what you need to know before puck drop.
