Sam Carrick is available for Game 3 at score canadien montreal, giving Buffalo a chance to add a fourth-line center after he missed the postseason with an upper-body injury. The Sabres and Canadiens meet Sunday at Bell Centre with the series tied 1-1, and Buffalo’s face-off work has already become a problem.
Bell Centre lineup move
Lindy Ruff said Carrick was available, and the forward would likely slide into the fourth line center spot if activated. Tyson Kozak skated with the extras at Bell Centre on Sunday morning, a sign Buffalo was sorting out its bottom-six options before puck drop.
Carrick has not played in the postseason since sustaining the injury on March 31. Buffalo acquired him from the New York Rangers on March 6, and he produced six points, including five goals and one assist, in 13 games with the Sabres after the trade.
Sabres need cleaner draws
Buffalo has won 40.4 percent of the face-offs in the series, going 42-for-104. Ruff spelled out the role Carrick can fill if he returns: "I think we saw what he brought. He brought us some offense. He was good on face-offs. And his penalty killing was good for us. His 5-on-5 play was excellent and that's what he can bring."
He also called Carrick "a great veteran player in our lineup" and said the center is "great in the face-off circle, he's great on the forecheck, and he scored a lot of big goals for us too in a limited amount of time."
Game 3 pressure at Montreal
Montreal planned no lineup changes after outplaying Buffalo in Game 2, a 5-1 result at KeyBank Center on Friday. The Canadiens have leaned on more than one scorer in the postseason, with Cole Caufield at one goal through nine playoff games after a 51-goal regular season and Alex Newhook scoring three times in the past three games.
Game 3 has carried weight before in tied best-of-7 series. Teams winning Game 3 after a 1-1 split have gone on to take the series 248-126, a.663 rate, and Buffalo enters needing cleaner draws and a steadier fourth line if Carrick steps back in.
