Sharpen Up: February 13, 2022 | Sabres play in Montreal this afternoon

The Buffalo Sabres have a road game today in Montreal before the big game.
It's an afternoon affair at Bell Centre. Faceoff is set for 12:30 p.m. on MSG and WGR 550. Catch the pregame show on MSG starting at noon.
Here's what you need to know.

Yesterday's practice

From the Practice Report:
Don Granato felt his top line was less than its best on Thursday, coming off a nine-day layoff between games. Their timing was off, he said, and they never quite established a rhythm.
Yet the trio of Jeff Skinner, Tage Thompson, and Alex Tuch still managed to be effective against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
"They were still good," Granato said. "They were still dangerous quite a bit in that game. They have a lot of confidence in each other and showing belief in each other."

Granato kept the trio together for practices on Friday and Saturday while shuffling the rest of the Sabres' forward lines. The Sabres own a 55.24-percent share of shot attempts in 77:51 when Skinner, Thompson, and Tuch have shared the ice at 5-on-5.
Thompson, with a team-high 32 points, is having a career year after a preseason move to center. Skinner paces the Sabres with 16 goals. Tuch has 14 points in as many games with the team.
Their offensive instincts have made for a natural chemistry that is improving with time, Thompson said.
"The main thing I feel is just the support, the puck support," Thompson said. "I feel like we're always around each other. So, those like five-, 10-foot passes, those quick little touch passes, things like that. Just letting the puck do the work instead of trying to skate through the whole team.
"We use each other, and I think that's when we're most dangerous."
Check out how the rest of the roster lined up here.

Today's matchup

From the Game Notes:
• This is the third of four meetings between the Sabres and Canadiens this season.
• Last meeting: Buffalo defeated Montreal 4-1 in Buffalo on Nov. 26, 2021
• Next meeting: Wednesday, Feb. 23 in Montreal
• The Sabres are 6-4-0 in their last 10 games against the Canadiens; 5-4-1 on the road.
• This is the 288th game all-time between Buffalo and Montreal; Buffalo has a 132-114-41 series record. • The Sabres are 55-73-14 on the road against the Canadiens all-time.
• Buffalo is 6-2-0 in its last eight games against Montreal.
• In their last eight games against Montreal, the Sabres are 10-for-30 (33.3 percent) on the power play.
• The Sabres have scored six power-play goals in their last four games against Montreal, including a season-high three in the season opener on Oct. 14 in Buffalo.
• Craig Anderson is one win away from the 297th victory of his NHL career, which would pass Ron Hextall for 40th all-time in NHL history.
• In seven games against the Canadiens dating back to Dec. 6, 2017, Anderson has posted a 4-3-0 record with a .930 save percentage and a 2.41 goals-against average.

• If he dresses, tonight will be Mark Pysyk's 500th career NHL game.
• He has played 171 of those games with Buffalo.
• Since making his Sabres debut on Dec. 29, Sabres forward Alex Tuch has recorded 14 points (6+8) in 14 games, including 10 points (5+5) in his last nine contests.
• Only three players in franchise history have ever had more points than Tuch in their first 14 games for the team after being acquired via trade: Doug Gilmour, 22 points (3+19), Pat LaFontaine, 18 points (8+10) and Jeff Skinner, 16 points (9+7).
• Gilmour (22 points, 3+19), LaFontaine (20 points, 9+11) and Skinner (16 points, 9+7) are the only players to have 15 or more points through their first 15 games for the Sabres after being acquired via trade.
• Tage Thompson has 16 points (4+12) in his last 15 games played, including nine points (2+7) in his last seven contests.

• With two assists in the last meeting between these teams on Nov. 26, Jeff Skinner now has 24 points (14+10) in 23 games against Montreal since the beginning of the 2013-14 season, including 12 points (5+7) in eight games against the Canadiens since joining the Sabres in 2018-19.
• Skinner's 29 points (16+13) in 33 career games against Montreal are the most by any current Sabres player.
• Victor Olofsson has recorded at least a point in all three of his career games against Montreal (3+2), including a goal and three assists in two meetings this season.

• With two goals against Montreal on Nov. 26, Tage Thompson has three goals in two games against the Canadiens this season and four points (3+1) in four career matchups.
• With two points (1+1) on Nov. 26 against Montreal, Cody Eakin has six points (1+5) in his last six games against the Canadiens.
• Kyle Okposo has scored a goal in each of his two games against Montreal this season.

Olympic schedule

Sabres prospect Owen Power is back in action today with Team Canada following a 4-2 loss to the United States on Saturday. The preliminary round continues when the Canadians face China at 8:10 a.m. The game is streaming on NBC's website and on Peacock.

Sabres Valentine's Day plans

Our very own Jourdon LaBarber tried to get to the bottom of what the players think about Valentine's Day: