Game Preview | 5 things to know ahead of Sabres vs. Canadiens

Rasmus Dahlin will return to the lineup for the Buffalo Sabres against the Montreal Canadiens at KeyBank Center on Saturday.

Dahlin missed the Sabres’ 3-1 victory in Boston on Thursday with a lower-body injury and was absent from practice on Friday. He was a full participant in the morning skate on Saturday.

The pregame show on MSG/**MSG+** begins at 6:30 p.m. with puck drop scheduled for 7. Radio coverage can be found on WGR 550.

Here are five things to know.

1. Dahlin’s return

Dahlin had been playing through his lower-body injury prior to missing the game in Boston. He said he felt “really good” following the morning skate Saturday after taking three days to recover.

“I played with it for a while, it just got worse every day pretty much,” he said. “So, I had to stay away from the ice for a couple days to let it heal. But now I’m ready to roll.”

The defenseman leads the Sabres and is tied for seventh in the NHL with an average ice time of 25:07.

2. Changes on defense

Mattias Samuelsson paired with Owen Power against the Bruins in Dahlin’s absence, a look the Sabres are expected to stick with on Saturday. Dahlin will join the lineup in place of rookie defenseman Ryan Johnson and pair with Henri Jokiharju.

Samuelsson skated 25:57 and blocked nine shots in the win over the Bruins. Power skated a season-high 28:27 with five shots and an assist.

“They competed at a very high level,” Sabres coach Don Granato said. “They engaged very quick and decisive and that was a big difference the other night for us down the stretch, preserving the lead and having to battle.

“… Sammy’s a guy that, he kind of fits with anybody and everybody. I think Owen, there’s more to Owen’s game and the other night Sammy seemed to bring out that ‘more,’ and that’s a good thing.”

3. In the crease

Devon Levi is expected to start in goal for the second straight game after making 31 saves in the victory over the Bruins. It will be the Montreal native’s first career start against the Canadiens, who will start fellow Northeastern University product Cayden Primeau in goal.

4. Injury updates

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen participated in the morning skate after missing the last two games with an illness. He will not dress Saturday but is expected to be ready for the team’s upcoming road trip, which begins Wednesday in Colorado.

“We expect that fully, that he’ll be on the road with us next week,” Granato said. “This ailment that he’s had has depleted the energy reserves so he’s building himself back up. He looked good today.”

Granato said there is a chance for both Alex Tuch (undisclosed) and Jordan Greenway (upper body) to play on the road trip. Zemgus Girgensons (lower body) is not expected to join the trip.

“Zemgus has flatlined a little bit,” Granato said. “… He was probably a week or so away. It might be a little more than that now.”

5. Scouting the Canadiens

The Canadiens took the first game of the season series 3-1 in Buffalo on Oct. 23 despite the Sabres earning a 37-27 edge in shots. Justin Barron, Brendan Gallagher, and Tanner Pearson scored goals for Montreal while Jake Allen made 36 saves.

Montreal has settled around the .500 mark in the time since, having gone 4-3-1 since snapping a four-game losing streak on Nov. 22. The Canadiens enter Saturday on the heels of a 4-0 loss to Los Angeles.

Nick Suzuki leads the Canadiens with 21 points (7+14) while Sean Monahan has a team-high eight goals.