3 Critical Sabres Needed to Beat the Canadiens

The final buzzer sounded and a monkey had been swiftly removed from the backs of the Buffalo Sabres. With a 4-1 victory in Game 6, the Sabres punched their ticket to the second round for the first time since 2007.

Now, the focus can shift to their next opponent. The Sabres have gotten here for a lot of reasons and because of a lot of players. That said, there are three names who will need to be on their game if the Sabres are to advance to the Eastern Conference Final since that same 2007 postseason.

A quick caveat: it can’t be any of the obvious names. It is all too easy to say the Sabres need Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, Alex Tuch, and Alex Lyon to be good. If those guys weren’t good all the time, the team wouldn’t be here. Let’s get on with the list.

Josh Norris

Norris exited Game 2 with an injury and left a gaping hole on the third line. Noah Ostlund filled in nicely in Norris’ stead, but is now expected to miss this series with an injury. Norris registered his only point of the playoffs with an empty net goal in the deciding Game 6 victory.

Josh Doan and Zach Benson were a force throughout the Boston series and will play an integral role against Montreal. But a line fully clicking is better than one with a couple of solid pieces. Norris delivering solid two-way hockey with a bit of playmaking thrown in would be most welcome.

Playing behind our next player and the second line’s Ryan McLeod (also held to one point but clearly more impactful than the score sheet indicates), Norris and the third line can swing games in favor of the Sabres. Most importantly, he needs to remain on the ice for the duration of this series.

Peyton Krebs

The growth of Peyton Krebs has been tangible even if it hasn’t been eye-popping. Good coaching has seen him go from a solid fourth-line presence to becoming the de facto No.1 center between Tuch and Thompson. Though he hasn’t been an elite producer, it is hard to miss the effect he has had.

Krebs plays with a similar “pest” feel to his game that Benson does. In the opening round against Boston, Krebs stood out for his creativity and playmaking ability as well. His production – two goals, six points in six games – started to blossom as well.

Tuch and Thompson are going to garner the attention from fans and opponents, and for good reason. But they way Kreb has been playing lately has been an important part of the Sabres’ success. He isn’t on Nick Suzuki’s level individually but has helped make the top line for Buffalo a formidable one.

Owen Power

In his worst offensive season to date, Owen Power may have had his best season overall. He was a rock throughout the regular season, and his production has now kicked up a level in the playoffs.

He picked up an assist in each of his first four games, becoming the only skater in franchise history to do so in each of their first four career playoff games. The smooth skating defenseman plays with a sense of calm that the Sabres desperately need.

Against the fast, explosive Canadiens, the Sabres will need Power to continue playing at a high level. Averaging just over 20 minutes per night, the Sabres are leaning on the young defender, and it is paying dividends. If the Sabres are going to eliminate the Canadiens, Power will need to be as good, if not better.

A River Hockey Series?

The Sabres have been labeled a “river hockey” team before and this series has all the makings of an offensive showcase. The team thrives on offense off the rush, and the Canadiens have the guys who can match them. Goaltending will be critical in each game in this round.

Taking everything else away from this series, this should be thrilling just for the fan bases involved. Both are passionate and both have been waiting a long time to have contenders on the ice. It should be an electric series from start to finish.