CANADIENS (27-24-4) at SABRES (21-28-6)
TV: 7 p.m. ET; RDS, SNE, BELL TV, MSG-B, NHL.TV
Season series: The Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres have split two games, with the road team winning each. Montreal defenseman Andrei Markov had a goal and four assists in a 7-2 win at First Niagara Center on Oct. 23. Buffalo center Johan Larsson scored the game-winning goal at 11:46 of the third period in a 4-2 victory at Bell Centre on Feb. 3.
Canadiens team scope: Montreal defensemen Jeff Petry (lower body) and Nathan Beaulieu (lower body) each missed practice Thursday because of injury. Petry won't make the trip to Buffalo; Beaulieu is listed as day-to-day and could play. Coach Michel Therrien replaced Dale Weise with Sven Andrighetto on the top power-play unit during practice. Andrighetto also skated with Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais on the top line. "I gave those guys [Pacioretty, Desharnais and Weise] opportunity to produce offensively," Therrien told the Montreal Gazette. "Putting them on the power play, put those guys on offensive-zone faceoffs as much as we can. They want to produce. The thing they need to focus on is probably better decisions with the puck, better support. Those are the things they need to focus on to get success." The Canadiens power play is ranked 21st in the NHL (17.8 percent). Montreal has won three straight games after going 1-8-1 in its previous 10.
Sabres team scope: Buffalo lost 5-1 to the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday. Larsson missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury but may return to the lineup on Friday. Coach Dan Bylsma, looking to find consistent line combinations, moved Sam Reinhart to center. Reinhart skated on a line with Evander Kane and captain Brian Gionta against Philadelphia and went 1-for-5 on faceoffs. "At some point, you're thinking he's going to have to get an opportunity to play center," Bylsma told The Buffalo News. "He stepped in and played center last game and other than the faceoff circle, which he struggled with, I thought he looked pretty comfortable in that position." Buffalo is 4-4-1 in the second game of back-to-backs.
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