Canadiens vs Sabres Top Six Minutes: A bruiser in Buffalo

For our new readers and members, the Top Six Minutes is a continuation of the discussion in the game thread. We try to keep it light and entertaining. Full recaps are up the morning after every game.

First Period

• Three minutes in and there has been... a lot of hits already. Somebody came out grumpy. Hint: it’s not Montreal!
• And it’s 1-0 for Buffalo as Rasmus Ristolainen snipes one in from the point. Great.
• Canadiens’ first line generating good pressure in the offensive zone but Robin Lehner stands tall.
• It’s so great to have Brendan Gallagher back. Well, he’s been back for a while, but you know, back, back.
• Get off of Carey Price!
• Dwight King scores! Nope, sorry, that was just a post and a red light false alarm. As you were, folks.
• Okay, we’ll ignore those couple of minutes Montreal were kept tightly in their own zone.
• Well, womp. Habs head to the dressing room trailing by one. Let’s pick it up in the second, boys./

Second Period

• Just a few seconds in and it seems the game has opened way up. Carey Price sprawled across his crease to make a huge save early on.
• And Dwight King just wiped out on his own.
• Montreal is doing fun things in the offensive zone with their top line out on the ice once again. Cue the Alexander Radulov appreciation point?
• Falk tries to instigate Andrew Shaw at the whistle. Shaw behaves.
• Flynn’s one timer bangs off the post. It’s gonna happen soon, guys.
• An unidentified Buffalo skater just got absolutely sandwiched.
• No worries. I would definitely follow up decent Montreal pressure by a goal against. 2-0 Buffalo. Sigh.
• Thank you, Carey! Price steers away a Tyler Ennis shot as he came speeding down the middle.
• Oh, boy. Buffalo is really laying it on late in the second.
• If the early period showcased an open game, we must have reached a gaping point by now. So much speed. So many chances./

Third Period

• Alright, boys. If there’s any time to start scoring goals, I think now would be the opportune time.
• TOMAS PLEKANEC HEARD MY PLEA! 2-1 with a lot of time to go. That’s 10 for Pleky.
• Okay, this team needs to stop gifting breakaways to Tyler Ennis.
• Doesn’t matter. Had Carey.
• Please see the above.
• Alexei Emelin hasn’t come back from the dressing room? Oh dear.
• Ristolainen gets two minutes for being rude to Brendan Gallagher. Serves him right. Finally a powerplay in this game!
• Welp. Outside of Nikita Nesterov’s stick exploding, not a whole heck of a lot happened on that man advantage.
• Oy, vey. The passes just aren’t connecting this evening, are they?
• And on that positive note, Carey Price has skated to the bench to bring on the extra attacker.
• The Sabres have iced the puck 3,834 times in the last 3 seconds.
• Habs lose 2-1./

EOTP 3 Stars

Third star

Second star: For a time, there was hope

First star: That’s the spirit!

Habs Highlight of the Night

Byron and Radulov set up Plekanec for a great goal.