#MTLHockey Preview
Match Up
The Canadiens (8-4-1) take their show on the road as they head to Buffalo to face the Sabres (3-9-1) Wednesday night. The puck drops at 7:30 and the game can be seen on RDS and Sportsnet.
This is the first of four games between the Habs and Sabres, and the first of three in November. Last season the Canadiens won four of four games against their division rivals, including a pair of shutouts. All told, the Canadiens outscored the Sabres 10-3 last year.
What to Watch
To say the Canadiens have struggled to find offense would be a massive understatement. Tom Gilbert, Alex Galchenyuk, Max Pacioretty, and Lars Eller are the only four Habs to score goals in the team's last five games. PK Subban has gone seven games without a goal, Tomas Plekanec has been held pointless over the past five games, while Brendan Gallagher's drought is at eight games.
The Canadiens get their first look at Brian Gionta and Josh Gorges in Sabres uniforms on Wednesday. Gorges, to the surprise of no one that saw him play in Montreal, once again leads the league in blocked shots with 56 in 13 games.
What's at Stake
After being blown out in their last two games, the Canadiens need a change of fortune and they need one quickly. Providence has served up the league worst Buffalo Sabres in this, the Canadiens' hour of need, and the team can't afford to let the opportunity pass them by.
Who's Out
The Canadiens are astonishingly healthy, but expect Dustin Tokarski to man the crease in Buffalo with Carey Price coming off of two games in the last three nights leading up to Wednesday.
Update: I don't normally like to do this, but in this case I'll make an exception. Unconfirmed reports have Jiri Sekac returning to the lineup in Buffalo while Rene Bourque is expected to be a healthy scratch.
The Sabres could be without Marcus Foligno, who missed Sunday's game against the Red Wings and has yet to return to practice.
What Else
While first periods continue to hurt the Canadiens, they did have a somewhat better start than usual against the Blackhawks on Tuesday. The Habs out-shot the Hawks 11-5 in the first 20 minutes but still went in to the dressing room trailing by a goal. Montreal is the only team that has yet to take a lead into the first intermission, they've been outscored 14-4 in first periods this year.
The Sabres are one of just two teams with fewer first period goals than the Habs. Like the Panthers, the Sabres have scored only three goals in the opening frame this season.
The Question Mark
Say something, anything, positive about the Habs.
Tonight's Show
Join host Steven Hindle along with Kosta Papoulias and Rob Elbaz for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:30 Wednesday to preview the Canadiens and Sabres
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