1. Can Canadiens secondary scoring proceed?
Cole Caufield scored 51 objectives within the common season however has only one via 9 playoff video games. He did present indicators of life throughout Sport 2 in opposition to the Sabres together with a blistering one-timer that clanked off the cross bar, went straight down, but one way or the other stayed out of the online.
Fortuitously for Montreal, the supporting solid has accomplished an impressive job of supplying offense. Eleven different gamers have scored not less than one aim for the Canadiens within the postseason, together with Alex Newhook who has three up to now three video games.
“It is vital,” Newhook stated. “Within the playoffs, depth is large. A whole lot of instances, your prime guys get the opposite workforce’s greatest checkers. So that you want depth. And it is received to be a special man a variety of nights. In order that’s an enormous a part of our workforce, and one thing we have to hold going.”
2) Managing the Bell Centre
The Sabres have skilled some wild crowds to this point within the playoffs, none extra loopy that the environment in Sport 1 at dwelling of their first-round collection in opposition to the Bruins, their first playoff recreation in 15 years.
However the Bell Centre tends to be a special animal. The final time the Canadiens made the second spherical in 2021, pandemic restrictions pressured them to cap the tickets offered for dwelling video games.
“I feel it’ll be an electrical environment for certain,” Malenstyn stated. “You play right here on a Saturday evening within the common season, and it feels just like the roof’s going to come back off, so I can not think about it’ll be any completely different if not louder. So I feel we’re very excited to simply get on the market and really feel that vitality and play in entrance of it.”
And, assuming that occurs, there is a best-case state of affairs for the Sabres.
“I might like to shut down the group by placing one at the back of the online instantly,” Ruff stated.
“… I have been on this constructing earlier than within the playoffs and the vitality is unimaginable. I feel it is one thing you have to embrace. You get to play in certainly one of hockey’s hotbeds and also you get to play within the playoffs and the group goes to be super.”
3) Tage’s troubles
There was no query that Tage Thompson had a tough Sport 2. He was minus-4, had one shot on aim, and struggled in a number of sides, notably with puck dealing with. It was the ahead’s turnover that instantly led to the fourth aim of the sport for the Canadiens.
Thompson had 81 factors (40 objectives, 41 assists) in 81 regular-season video games. In his eight playoff video games, he has seven factors (two objectives, 5 assists), however all of these got here within the first spherical and each objectives got here in a comeback win in opposition to the Bruins in Sport 1. He hasn’t scored since.
“He is an final skilled,” Malenstyn stated. “He is one of many leaders on our workforce. Works at his craft each single day, is extraordinarily detailed in what he does, and completely no doubts that he will come on the market and put his greatest efficiency ahead. We’ve got all of the belief in him.”
And all of the belief in him with the ability to get again to being the participant he was all common season.
“I noticed an incredible observe yesterday, skated effectively, moved effectively,” Ruff stated. “He was not completely happy together with his recreation and we have moved on. We have hit reset and we’re transferring on to the subsequent recreation.”