The Buffalo Sabres are moving on to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Sabres will face the Montreal Canadiens in the Atlantic Division final series beginning Wednesday at Key Bank Center.
Forward Sam Carrick, who has been lost to the club with an upper-body injury, is practicing with the team and is now considered day-to-day to return to the lineup. Carrick’s potential availability is welcomed news with the team’s struggles in the faceoff dot since the versatile center was sidelined on March 31st. The initial prognosis had Carrick unavailable for the upcoming Montreal series, but fortunately for Buffalo, Carrick’s recovery is ahead of schedule.
“I think I did a pretty good job of having a good mindset”, said Carrick of his recovery. “This is an opportunity to work on things that maybe I wouldn’t be able to work on if I wasn’t injured. My skating, my conditioning, all that, my strength in other areas. We got some time here. This could be a good thing. When I do come back, I’ll be feeling the best I’ve felt since training camp really. “
In addition to his skill on the draw, Carrick also contributed offensively since his arrival in a trade-deadline deal with the New York Rangers.
The 34-year-old Markham, ON native contributed five goals in just thirteen regular season
The Canadiens completed a seven-game series victory over Tampa Bay in round one, while the Sabres defeated Boston in six games, in the first round for Buffalo’s first playoff series victory in nineteen years. While the Bruins presented a challenge in terms of defensive structure, Montreal will be a different type of matchup entirely. The Sabres and Habs are both young teams on the rise that play a high-tempo style built on speed, transition, and playmaking.
“The Canadiens are quick, they’re fast”, said Carrick. “They play a lot like us in a lot of ways.
In addition to similar styles of play, the two teams are very evenly matched. They split the regular season series at 2-2-0 and the contest promises to be a long, hard-fought series.
Fans are sure to be treated to some very entertaining hockey between these two high-octane teams as the best-of-seven set gets underway starting on Wednesday night in Buffalo.
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