The Buffalo Sabres, seeking their fourth straight win, host the Montreal Canadiens, who are desperate for a win, on Monday afternoon.
The Sabres followed up their impressive wins over the Ottawa Senators and New York Rangers with a 3-2 shootout victory over the Calgary Flames on Saturday. JJ Peterka scored the game-winning goal in the shootout, while Tage Thompson scored his 10th goal of the season, leading the team in victory. Thompson has scored goals in three straight games and could improve his totals against a Canadiens team he has had success against in his career. The 27-year-old forward has seven goals and seven assists in 12 games against Montreal.
Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been instrumental in the team’s recent success. Luukkonen has allowed just 2.25 goals per game and has won six of his last eight starts. Head coach Lindy Ruff praised his Finnish goalie after Saturday’s shootout win.
«He’s played really well, the team play has been better and he’s played better,» Ruff said. «He made key saves. Look at that save he made in overtime, which allowed us to get the extra point.»
Another key to the Sabres’ recent success has been their special teams play. After failing to score on their first 22 power play opportunities to start the season, Buffalo is 7-for-23 on the numbers advantage in their last seven games.
A win on Monday would give the Sabres their first four-game winning streak in 21 months. On the other end of the spectrum, the Canadiens fell to the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 on Saturday night, en route to their sixth straight loss (0-5-1). One bright spot for the Canadiens has been the play of veteran winger Brendan Gallagher. The 32-year-old scored the Canadiens’ only goal on Saturday, giving him seven on the season and extending his scoring streak to three games.
The 2010 fifth-round draft pick now ranks 19th all-time on the Canadiens’ scoring charts with 225 career goals. The Canadiens’ leading scorers, Cole Caufield and captain Nick Suzuki, have not scored in each of the last four games.
«Some of us, myself included, are having a hard time performing and scoring,» Suzuki told reporters after his team’s latest loss. «I expect more from myself, I’m sure everyone else does too. We need our whole squad to perform.»