It’s no secret the Buffalo Sabres are amidst their worst losing streak since their 18-game skid back in 2021, as they have lost their last 10 games played.
Let’s preview tonight’s contest against the Montreal Canadiens and see how the blue-and-gold can finally get back into the win column.
How to watch
Puck drop is at 7 p.m. in Montreal
In WNY: MSG (pregame show starting at 6:30 p.m.)
Outside WNY market: ESPN+
Sabres lineup
We are not credentialed so we cannot attend morning skates to share lines but we can share these notes from the team’s pregame skate.
Rasmus Dahlin skated with the Sabres for the first time since his back injury during the Dec. 3 game against Colorado. The Sabres captain did not partake in the team’s powerplay today but did take a rep on the penalty kill.
Head coach Lindy Ruff said Dahlin will practice again Thursday and is questionable to play against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday.
Ruff said Jordan Greenway is doubtful for tonight’s game, but follow us @CrossSwordsPod on Twitter for continued updates for the entire lineup.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will get the start in net. He has 21 starts on the season and is 8-9-3 with a .903 SV%.
Betting lines
Buffalo +1.5 ML -124
Montreal -1.5 ML +148
O/U 6
Three keys for the Sabres
Compete, compete, compete
Anyone who has watched a game along this losing streak has noticed the lapses in compete for this team. They need to dig deep and stay hungry regardless if they are up two goals or down two. They far too often change how they play depending on the score. I would love to see them play hard for the entire 60-minute contest.
Jack Quinn doesn’t take a step back
Jack Quinn (3G 4A 25GP) has been a shell of his former self, but his two-goal outing last game against Toronto on Sunday was a great takeaway. The 23-year-old needs to hunt pucks tonight and trust in his scoring touch. If we see him drive hard to the net and fire pucks on the rush, we may be in for a turning point for his season.
If he looks disengaged and playing from outside the dots I would be very concerned.
Confidence
This may sound dumb for a team in free fall in the standings, but the Sabres need to believe in themselves. The team tends to crumble rather quickly the second they give up a goal when have a two-goal lead. The only way this gets back on track is if they believe in what they are doing.
The Sabres’ owner Terry Pegula is in Montreal and met with the team yesterday where he did his best to instill confidence in this group. Let’s hope they take it to heart and get to an early jump tonight.
Predictions
The Sabres are favorites in Vegas’ eyes, and I do think the losing streak ends tonight against the Canadiens. I see Luukkonen having another great game for the blue-and-gold and will carry them to a close victory. I cannot see them winning without a stellar game in net from UPL.
There is a small part of me that sees a scoring outburst from this squad tonight against a struggling Sam Montembeault who has lost his past two games giving up a total of nine goals in those contests. This could be a big Tage Thompson game who has 16 goals on the season, and none in his last two games.