Sabres vs. Canadiens - Game 2 | How to watch, lineup notes, and storylines

Now come the adjustments.

The Buffalo Sabres raced to an early lead and never surrendered it in their Game 1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens at KeyBank Center on Wednesday. Both sides came away from the contest feeling they had opportunities to score more than they did, and neither felt they played their best game.

In other words, we’ll see two teams looking to take it up a gear when they meet for Game 2 at KeyBank Center on Friday.

“Overall, a good Game 1, knowing that as a team there are things we can do better,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said Thursday.

Buffalo had slight edges in shot attempts (38-37) and high-danger scoring chances (10-7) at 5-on-5, according to Natural Stat Trick. Both teams scored on the power play (Buffalo went 2-for-3; Montreal went 1-for-2).

Tightening up defensively against Montreal’s top players – something the Sabres did well in their series against Boston – will be an area of focus.

“I think we can be a lot better,” Ruff said after Game 1. “That includes taking time and ice away. I thought we did a great job in the Boston series. I thought this game was a little bit of a step back where we gave them too much ice.”

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

• Playoff notebook: Challenge of defending Montreal's top line
• Playoff Central: Watch parties, giveaways and more

How to watch

TV (national): TNT

Streaming (national): HBO Max

Radio: WGR 550 / Buffalo Sabres App (Dan Dunleavy and Rob Ray on the call)

Pregame and Postgame Shows featuring Brian Duff and Martin Biron will air on MSG and the Sabres App along with the team's X, Facebook and YouTube channels. The pregame show begins at 6:30 p.m.

Lineup notes

Rasmus Dahlin – freshly off his first Norris Trophy nomination – confirmed he was OK following his potentially game-saving blocked shot toward the end of Game 1. Dahlin stayed on the bench but did not play after the block, which occurred with 3:07 remaining.

“It hurt, but I'm not injured,” Dahlin said.

The Sabres did not practice on Thursday, so check back following 10:30 a.m. morning skate for potential lineup updates. That includes the status of forward Sam Carrick, who’s considered day to day and nearing his return from an injury to his left arm.

Numbers to know

• Zach Benson has tallied multiple points in two straight games. The last NHL player age 20 of younger to have consecutive multi-point games in the playoffs? Bowen Byram, during Colorado’s Stanley Cup run in 2022.
• Byram’s playoff prowess has carried over from Colorado to Buffalo. He scored his fourth goal of these playoffs in Game 1, matching the franchise record for goals by a defenseman in a single playoff year.
• While his point total (4) isn’t among the playoff leaders, the Sabres have consistently tilted the ice during Dahlin’s minutes. His 5-on-5 scoring chance differential (plus-26) is best among NHL defensemen in the playoffs.

Playoff statistics

Scouting the Habs

Montreal coach Martin St. Louis said after Game 1 that he felt his team had more time and space to operate offensively than it had in its previous series against Tampa Bay.

The Sabres will be looking to eliminate that time and space – something they’ve proven they can do throughout this season. Still, the discussion around Montreal on Thursday revolved around capitalizing when opportunities do present themselves.

The Canadiens’ top line of Juraj Slafkovsky, Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield – one of the NHL’s best during the regular season – has just one even-strength goal during the playoffs. Caufield, a 50-goal scorer, has been held off the board at 5-on-5.

“[My confidence] is still there,” Caufield told reporters on Thursday. “Obviously, I want to be better, I want to produce more. But you can’t lack confidence in this league. Once you do, I think that’s when you really start to struggle. So, confidence is there. The positivity in this room is still going strong.”