Puck hungry Habs fans will finally get to see their heroes in action Friday as the Canadiens (16-6-1) end a four-game break with a battle against the last-placed Buffalo Sabres (6-14-2).
The Canadiens took the first of their four battles against the Sabres 2-1 in Buffalo on November 5, a game which required a shootout goal by P.A. Parenteau to settle.
The Canadiens have beaten Buffalo in their last six encounters and will hope to continue that trend tonight and again as the teams square off again Saturday in Montreal.
The Canadiens are expected to make defenceman Tom Gilbert a healthy scratch, which likely means that newcomer Bryan Allen will take his spot in the lineup.
Eric Tangradi, 25, will suit up as a forward, as the off-season free agent signing takes his first shifts for the Canadiens after getting called up from Hamilton. The 6'4" left winger scored five goals in 136 NHL games for the Jets and Penguins.
The Sabres, who have former Habs Brian Gionta and Josh Gorges in their lineup, have a league-worst -35 goal differential but they’re a near-respectable 4-5-1 in their last 10 games.
The Sabres have had an anemic offence, scoring only 37 goals in 22 games, while their goals against is ranked 26th in the league.
The Canadiens are expected to unveil some tweaks in the powerplay as forwards Lars Eller and Jiri Sekac spent time practicing at the point on the man advantage this week.
Buffalo defenceman Tyler Myers is expected to miss the game with a lower body injury.
