The Buffalo Sabres have their hands full this round with the Montreal Canadiens’ top line.
Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky have had a slow start together these playoffs, including in the Sabres’ 4-2 Game 1 win on Wednesday. Suzuki has just one goal and one assist at even strength, while his wingers Caufield and Slafkovsky have been held off the 5-on-5 scoresheet entirely through eight games.
But those guys were one of the league’s most potent trios in the regular season, totaling 72 goals and 161 points at even strength. They played nearly 600 minutes together, during which Montreal outscored its opponents 42-25 (Natural Stat Trick).
While the line had a fair amount of offensive-zone time in Game 1, especially during the Canadiens’ third-period push, they were credited with just one high-danger scoring chance and failed to break through. Suzuki did score on the power play.
“They’re a really good line. They have a ton of skill, they read the ice very well,” said Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin. “They’re dangerous when they get their chances, so we have to take away time and space, keep staying on them and make it hard on them. I think we did a pretty good job; I think we can do even better.”
Montreal coach Martin St. Louis remarked postgame that the line had more puck possession and room to work than in their seven-game series against Tampa Bay last round. Whereas the Lightning consistently matched up their top line – centered by Selke Trophy finalist Anthony Cirelli – with Suzuki’s, the Sabres don’t approach matchups that way.
In Game 1, the Tage Thompson and Josh Norris lines each handled six-plus minutes of the Suzuki trio, and Ryan McLeod’s line also took some shifts against them. Five defensemen played five-plus minutes against the line.
“It’s comforting when I can say that I trust every line to play against anybody,” coach Lindy Ruff reiterated. “And a lot of times, ‘whatever line you want to call them’ will produce no matter who they’re playing. We’re pretty locked into how we need to play. It is a luxury, because you don’t have to look down the other bench and see who’s coming and maybe skip a line.”
That four-line usage, Ruff continued, allows for good distribution of ice time – easier to manage with a lead, of course. Every Sabres forward skated between 10 and 20 minutes in the Game 1 win. And guys across the lineup did their part in defending Montreal’s top scorers:
1st period, 8:01: Slafkovsky gains a clean zone entry, but Owen Power steps up in the left circle to block Suzuki’s attempt. Montreal does regain possession, but Caufield sends a pass out of the zone.
