Canadiens at Sabres
After a disastrous season in which they finished closer to the basement than first place, the Montreal Canadiens are off to a fast start and battling for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. Equally surprising is the play of the division rival Buffalo Sabres, who return home from a successful five-game road trip to host Montreal on Thursday night.
Buffalo went 3-2-0 on its five-game trek through the Pacific Division, capped by back-to-back wins over Los Angeles and Anaheim, but coach Phil Housley ripped into his players at Wednesday's practice. “We just started a little slow in practice, that’s all,” Housley said. "We’re playing a really good Montreal team tomorrow, they’re a very fast team, and I just wanted us to push the pace a little more.” The Canadiens have lost in regulation just once in eight games and enter Thursday's matchup riding a five-game point streak (4-0-1). "I am happy with the way we're playing and the direction we're going, but certainly not at the point of being satisfied," Montreal coach Claude Julien said after Tuesday's 3-2 home win over Calgary.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, RDS, TSN2 (Montreal), MSG-Buffalo
ABOUT THE CANADIENS (5-1-2): Jonathan Drouin had a goal and an assist as Montreal scored three times in a span of under 3 1/2 minutes Tuesday to extend his point streak to five games. "Jonathan is playing his best hockey," observed Julien. "He's playing with a lot of confidence. He's playing with a lot of tenacity. He's skating well. He's really in the zone." Carey Price tied Patrick Roy for the second-most wins in franchise history by beating the Flames, but backup Antti Niemi will get the nod and make his third start of the season versus Buffalo.
ABOUT THE SABRES (5-4-0): Jeff Skinner was a three-time 30-goal scorer with the Carolina Hurricanes, but he was held off the scoresheet in his first four games with Buffalo. The former Calder Trophy winner came alive on the road trip with five goals and seven points in five games, including a hat trick against Los Angeles before registering six shots on net and scoring in the comeback win over Anaheim. "Especially on the road, you want to come back and have a good response when you go down," Skinner said. It's a nice feeling when you win like that."
OVERTIME
1. Montreal swept the four-game series last season, allowing three goals and posting a pair of shutouts.
2. Sabres captain Jack Eichel has nine points in as many games but was held to one assist in four contests versus Montreal last season.
3. Canadiens F Brendan Gallagher has a team-high five goals and has scored 11 times in 22 games against the Sabres.