MTL@BUF: What you need to know

BUFFALO - The Habs begin a quick, two-game road trip in Buffalo to take on the Sabres at KeyBank Center on Monday.

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Here's what you need to know heading into the game:
1.On Saturday, the Canadiens demolished the Columbus Blue Jackets 8-2 at the Bell Centre. It was also the team's second annual Indigenous Celebration Night where players sported special warmup jerseys that fans can
bid on until Tuesday, March 28
. Rafael Harvey-Pinard enjoyed his first career natural hat trick, while captain Nick Suzuki put up a four-point performance (1 G, 3 A). Mike Hoffman (1 G, 2 A), Mike Matheson (3 A), Brendan Gallagher (1 G, 1 A), Jesse Ylonen (1 G, 1 A), and Johnathan Kovacevic (2 A) also registered multiple points in the thrilling win. Alex Belzile completed the scoring for the Habs. Goaltender Sam Montembeault made 21 saves.

2.Meanwhile, the Sabres shutout the New York Islanders 2-0 at UBS Arena on Saturday. A pair of third period tallies from captain Kyle Okposo and Jeff Skinner propelled Buffalo to victory. With 26 saves, netminder Eric Comrie recorded his first shutout of the season. Riding a two-game win streak, head coach Don Granato's squad sits fifth in the Atlantic Division with 76 points and is six points away from the second wild card spot currently occupied by the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Canadiens will need to watch out for prolific goal scorer Tage Thompson, whose 44 tallies place him sixth in scoring in the NHL. He leads the Sabres with 89 points, followed by Skinner (70), Alex Tuch (68), Rasmus Dahlin (65) and Dylan Cozens (61).
3.On Sunday, the Canadiens agreed to terms on a
three-year, entry-level contract with forward Sean Farrell
(2022-23 to 2024-25). The 21-year-old is expected to join the team on the trip to Buffalo and Philadelphia. A Hobey Baker finalist, he enjoyed a standout season with the Harvard Crimson, registering 20 goals and 33 assists in 34 games.

4.Prior to flying to Buffalo, the Habs held an optional practice at the Bell Sports Complex on Sunday. Twelve players hit the ice for the session.

The guys will prepare once more today at 11:30 a.m. at KeyBank Center. Any changes to the lineup will be known during Martin St-Louis' media availability which will be streamed on the

.
5.Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET. Watch the game on Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Pacific and RDS or tune in on the radio on TSN 690 and 98,5 fm.