Sabres at Canadiens | How to watch, lineup notes, and storylines

MONTREAL – Jordan Greenway delivered a message to Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes during the final minute of the Buffalo Sabres’ 4-2 loss at KeyBank Center on Saturday.

Greenway had just been shoved headfirst into the end boards by Canadiens defenseman Jayden Struble. He got back to his feet and, as he skated past the Montreal net, stopped for a face-to-face confrontation with Dobes.

“He was just talking ridiculousness,” Greenway said of the rookie goaltender. “I just wanted him to know we play them Monday and we’re going to be coming, so hopefully he relays it to their guys.”

The Sabres will look to avenge the loss when they visit the Canadiens at Bell Centre on Monday, the finale of the four-game season series between the Atlantic Division rivals. Montreal has won the first three games, including a 6-1 final in the previous meeting at Bell Centre on Dec. 17.

Buffalo is looking to right the ship after dropping its last two games. The team had won the previous two contests coming out of the 4 Nations Face-Off break and six of its previous seven games overall.

The puck drops at 7 p.m. Here’s what you need to know in the meantime.

How to watch

TV (Buffalo broadcast market): MSG (Pregame coverage begins at 6:30 p.m.)

Streaming (out of market): ESPN+

Radio: WGR 550

Click here for more ways to watch Sabres games.

Lineup notes (updated 6:40 p.m.)

Jason Zucker will miss a third straight game due to an injury, which stems from a blocked shot during the team’s win over the New York Rangers on Feb. 22.

Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson is scratched, too. Check back on the postgame report for an update from coach Lindy Ruff.

Ruff said both goalies will play during this back-to-back set, which concludes Tuesday versus San Jose. James Reimer gets the start Monday.

Here's the Sabres' lineup from warmups:

Storylines

1. Bryson’s impressive return

One of the bright spots in Saturday’s game was the return of Jacob Bryson, who dressed on defense for the first time since Feb. 8. Bryson skated 15:34, earned the primary assist on Alex Tuch’s second-period goal, and was involved in the Sabres’ attack throughout the night.

With Bryson on the ice at 5-on-5, the Sabres led 15-4 in shot attempts and 6-3 in scoring chances.

“He played a fearless game,” Ruff said. “He wanted to get involved, he wanted to make a difference, and he was making a difference in the game.”

Read Bryson’s thoughts on the performance, plus more from Ruff on how the defenseman can make an impact with his skating, in Sunday’s practice report.

2. Staying disciplined

Saturday’s contest was up-tempo, physical, and closely contested – a one-goal game for the duration of the third period until Jake Evans scored into an empty net with 1:38 remaining.

The Sabres briefly led during the second period following back-to-back goals by Tuch and Jiri Kulich. The Canadiens tied the game on an odd-man rush, then took advantage of a coverage lapse on Alex Newhook’s game-winning goal with just 2.6 seconds left in the period.

Ruff singled out those mistakes afterward, saying a more disciplined approach was necessary upon taking the lead.

“You have to let them make the mistake,” he said. “It’s a 2-1 game. Don’t make your own mistake.”

3. Scouting the Canadiens

Montreal has now won four straight games following the victory in Buffalo. Forwards Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Patrik Laine each extended their personal point streaks to four games, as did defenseman Lane Hutson with a two-assist performance.

Hutson, the NHL’s rookie scoring leader with 46 points, continued to be a play driver on the back end on Saturday. Eight of the Canadiens’ 11 high-danger attempts at 5-on-5 came with Hutson on the ice, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Game notes

• Tuch has scored goals in three straight games, bringing his season total to 22. He’s matched his full-season total from 2023-24 in 17 fewer games.
• Kulich scored his 12th even-strength goal of the season on Saturday, moving him into a tie with Matvei Michkov and Macklin Celebrini for the NHL rookie lead in that category.
• Rasmus Dahlin has 25 assists in his last 24 games after delivering the primary helper on Kulich’s goal Saturday.