After losing the last game against the Buffalo Sabres, the Montreal Canadiens find themselves back to square one with the series tied 2-2. In the last two games, the Habs had a slow start and allowed the Sabres to take the lead; that’s something they need to avoid tonight in Buffalo. If Montreal can manage to take an early lead and silence the crowd, they’ll have a much better night.
Historically, when a series is tied 2-2, the home team has a 177-127 record for a .582 winning percentage. As for Buffalo, they have a 15-20 record in the fifth game of a series (.429), and when they started the round at home, they are 8-7 for a .533 winning percentage. Meanwhile, the Canadiens have a 57-41 record in game 5 (.582), but on the road, they are 17-21 (.447). However, in these playoffs, the Habs are 4-2 on the Road and have outscored their opponents 18-14. As for the Sabres, they are 2-3 at the KeyBank Center and have been outscored 16-12.
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There were shots fired by Lindy Ruff in his media availability on Wednesday. When he was asked about the penalties his team is taking, he replied:
I know Montreal’s got a good power play, but I think they’re going down easy. […] It’s playoff hockey; every team in this league does it.
When his answer was relayed to Martin St-Louis, the Canadiens’ coach smiled and said:
So, he was talking about his team as well? That’s what he sees through his lenses. I won’t comment on how he sees through his own lenses. It’s his view.
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When he was asked how he saw things through his own lenses, he added:
I think calls for one side or the other even themselves out; I don’t care.
The coach may not care, but it stands to reason that he will most probably relay what Ruff said to his players and use it as motivation. To get the win on Thursday night, Montreal will need to open the shooting lanes. On Tuesday, Buffalo blocked 27 shots; if the Habs had gotten more pucks on net, the result might have been different.
The Sainte-Flanelle has yet to lose two games in a row in these playoffs; they have a 4-0 record and have allowed only six goals in the four games immediately after a loss. They’ll aim to keep that perfect record. Jakub Dobes has only lost two regulation games in a row once during the regular season. He had an 8-1- 1 record after a regulation loss, with a .928 save percentage. Needless to say, that must help the Canadiens’ confidence ahead of this must-win game.
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The Canadiens will not have a morning skate today, but they will hold a media availability from their hotel at around 11:45. The puck is set to drop at 7:00 PM, and you can catch it on HBO MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS, and CBC. At the time of writing, the NHL had yet to release the identity of the officiating team. Win or lose, Game 6 will be played on Saturday at 8:00 PM at the Bell Centre. The first Saturday night playoff game in a packed building since 2015, expect an electric atmosphere once more.
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