The Canadiens arrive in Buffalo having earned points in all but one game so far this season
ByDan Braverman @CanadiensMTL / canadiens.com
BUFFALO - Here are five things you need to know ahead of Thursday night's game against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center.
The Canadiens practiced on Wednesday before departing for Buffalo, and following practice, head coach Claude Julien announced that Antti Niemi would be his starter to take on the Sabres. This marks a third start of the season for the Finnish netminder, who was in nets when the Habs beat the Pittsburgh Penguins (4-3, shootout) and Detroit Red Wings (7-3) at the Bell Centre. Niemi has a 2-0-0 record, 2.88 goals-against average and .893 save percentage this season.
Antti Niemi sera le gardien de but partant contre les Sabres à Buffalo jeudi.
Antti Niemi will get the start against the Sabres on Thursday night in Buffalo. #GoHabsGo
Max Domi did not skate on Wednesday, opting for a therapy day instead. The 23-year-old forward is riding a four-game points streak (2G, 3A), and is tied for first on the team with eight total points in as many games. Domi made the trip to Upstate New York with his teammates and on Thursday, he was back in his regular spot centering a line between Jonathan Drouin and Artturi Lehkonen. 3. The Canadiens' leading point-getter against Buffalo is Tomas Plekanec with 39 career points (14G, 25A) in 75 games, but Plekanec is currently sitting out with back problems. Brendan Gallagher is next with 13 points (11G, 2A) in 22 games, although it was Jonathan Drouin who led the Habs with five points - all assists - in four contests last season. This is the first of four games between the Canadiens and their divisional rivals. Their next showdown is in Montreal on November 8, followed by another contest in Buffalo just over two weeks later, before their final meeting of the season in Montreal on March 23. 4. The Sabres are just returning from a rather successful trip to the West coast, beating the Arizona Coyotes, Los Angeles Kings, and Anaheim Ducks, while falling to the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks. They're coming home with two wins in a row in Los Angeles and Anaheim, and currently sit in wildcard position with a 5-4-0 record and 10 points. 5. The Canadiens are third in the Atlantic Division with 12 points. The Boston Bruins also have 12 points, but Montreal has a game in hand. The Habs have earned points in every game except their home opener so far this season, and have a 1-0-2 record on the road.
This website uses online tracking technologies such as cookies to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, save your preferences, and to enable personalized advertising on and off NHL.com, as described further in the Cookie Policy. To learn more and to manage your preferences, visit Cookie Settings. By continuing to access and use our sites and services, you accept and agree to ourTerms of Service.
Cookie Preference Center
Your Privacy
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Functional Cookies
Performance Cookies
Targeting and Advertising Cookies
Your Privacy
When you visit our website, we and our service providers and partners may use cookies and pixels (also known as web beacons) (collectively, “cookies”) to collect and use information for the purposes of delivering the website experience, understanding how visitors interact with our site and personalizing our advertising. This information might be about you, your preferences, or your device. For relevant sites, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies that are set by us and certain third parties that provide analytics, functionality, and advertising.
Click on the different category headings to find out more and change the default settings, although please note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience and the services you receive through relevant sites. These cookie choices do not impact any cookies used by sites operated by third parties, such as the NHL Shop which is operated by Fanatics. In addition, these choices will be specific to the device and browser you are using.
Please review our Cookie Policy for information about our privacy practices and additional choices available to you.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Always Active
These cookies are necessary or essential for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalized content.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to measure metrics like visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our sites. For example, they help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site.
Targeting and Advertising Cookies
These cookies collect information about your online interactions in order to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant ads on third-party sites, including on social media services. If you opt-out of these cookies, you will still receive ads but they may be less personalized.