From the Ice Level Practice Report…
When the Sabres arrive at Bell Centre for their game on Saturday night, they'll be met by a Montreal Canadiens team that is fighting to keep its grip on the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.
It took two periods for the Sabres to adjust to the speed and intensity of their opponent in a similar situation on Wednesday, when they met a desperate Toronto Maple Leafs team that was motivated by a string of four losses in five games. The result was a 4-2 loss in a game in which Carter Hutton made 42 saves.
"They came out with a strong start," Conor Sheary said. "We expected it, I just don't think we were ready. I think coming into tomorrow night, we should have a good start and hopefully come out with a win."
The Sabres are still looking to establish consistency over these last nine games of the season, which includes matchups with potential playoff teams in Montreal, Nashville and Columbus.
Sheary grew accustomed to playing for the playoffs during his first three NHL seasons in Pittsburgh, which included back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. That said, he reaffirmed his belief in the Sabres' core group after practice at Harborcenter on Friday.
"I think we know we have a good core group of guys in there," he said. "As far as the end of the season, we want to make sure we're building, we're striding in the right direction and building toward the future.
"I think we're a team that's going to be around for a while, not just make a splash. This is a big learning process for us and hopefully we can build off of that."
