With three podcast coming out in short order there is one article to cover all three. The first is a look back at the Tampa Bay Lightning series.
Mostly it focused on a low event hockey gamble from Jon Cooper. The bet was on Andrei Vasilevskiy besting Jakub Dobeš. In the end the goalies stole one game each, and Dobeš came on put on top.
Looking back on the picks the panel had a pretty good selection.
Jared’s Lane Hutson pick was great, the defender played out of his mind and one would have to guess that even Montreal Canadien fans was surprised by how well he played defence. On top of that; Hutson was directly involved in every game winning goal the Canadiens had in the series; either by scoring it himself or assisting on it.
Patrik’s Jakub Dobeš pick was good, as the goalie stole game seven of the Canadiens and was an integral part of the series since it became a low event series.
Matt picked Ivan Demidov but the defensive play of the series didn’t benefit the Russian winger, who still had his chances to score and had opportunities especially in game six.
The panel’s pick for biggest surprise wasn’t as good though.
David Reinbacher and Oliver Kapanen were more or less non factors, but Jared’s pick of Kirby Dach stands out. Dach’s comeback in the third game, where he almost singlehandedly won the game for Montreal is the highlight, but one has to wonder if Dach can be convinced to stay long-term in a third line role after this playoff series. He might not be what was invisioned at the time of the trade, but he is a young player that can benefit the team going forward.
The series picks were more or less spot on; Matt had Montreal in seven, Jared had Montreal in six but said it could go to seven and Patrik’s prediction was that Tampa would win in seven, if Victor Hedman were to play in the series.
Overall there was a lot of positive to take away from the series and the young Canadiens team has taken a step forward since last year.
The second podcast released is the roundtable preview for the Buffalo Sabres series, where the key will be the three musketeers of Rasmus Dahlin, Tage Thompson and Zach Benson.
There is one difference for the teams, Montreal is getting Noah Dobson back whereas Buffalo loses Noah Östlund for the foreseeable future due to a high ankle sprain, and the early expectation is that Sam Carrick is out for a couple of games at least. This could tilt the series in Montreal’s favour.
The question is also Buffalo’s goalkeeper – here we are in the wrong as we speak about Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen but it is the veteran Alex Lyon that has been guarding the net in the last couple of games.
Standout picks:
Jared – Cole Caufield, as the pace and freedom – along with a Saturday night game – will benefit the goal scorer.
Matt – Nick Suzuki, “this will be the Suzuki series.”
Patrik – Head says Juraj Slafkovský, heart says Ivan Demidov so he is going with Demidov. With a little bit of the same thought process as Jared’s Caufield pick.
Biggest surprise:
Patrik – Noah Dobson, this is the time that Montreal faithfull will have the chance to really see Dobson’s strength, also with Dobson on the second power play unit it could provide a more potent man-advantage.
Matt – Zachary Bolduc, as he has the same option to do damage at the lower end of the line up.
Jared picks Jake Evans who was a very solid player in the previous deep run of the playoffs in 2021, he could be the missing link between Slafkovský and Demidov.
All three has Montreal in six.
Getting to know the Buffalo Sabres with Chad DeDominicis of Expected Buffalo, previously of our sister site Die by the Blade.
Östlund is described as a huge loss for Buffalo after emerging as one of their best players against Boston. DeDominicis said the injury is likely a high ankle sprain and that he is expected to miss the entire series. They emphasized how much confidence and momentum he had finally built after a strong AHL season and NHL breakthrough. Carrick’s situation is more positive as reports points to a possible return by game two after already returning to practice.
Everything in Buffalo centers around Rasmus Dahlin who is the emotional and tactical leader of the Sabres, and this while still only being 25 years old. He has handled adversity in many ways; the difficulties centering around his fiancée Carolina Matovac has been well known, and yet he has been playing at a Norris Trophy level this season. Chad highlighted how Dahlin became more offensively aggressive as the Boston series went on, especially by attacking downhill with the puck. The discussion framed him as the central figure Buffalo builds around both on and off the ice. This will be one of the main headaches for Montreal to counter.
Buffalo’s top four defensemen — Dahlin, Samuelsson, Power, and Bowen Byram — is the foundation of the team’s identity. The hosts explained that the Sabres constantly rotate those defenders into different pairings to create matchup flexibility and maintain pace. Samuelsson was praised for his chemistry and stability alongside Dahlin, while Power’s skating and transition game stood out. They also stressed how aggressively Buffalo’s defense joins the offense, often pinching deep below the faceoff dots.
If Dahlin is the beating heart, Tage Thompson is the muscle. The conversation centered around Buffalo’s offensive identity which still revolves heavily around his scoring ability, transition game, and physical presence. They also noted how Buffalo surrounds him with relentless forechecking forwards to maximize turnovers and offensive pressure. Montreal’s defense was warned to avoid mistakes because Thompson remains extremely dangerous with open ice.
Benson was portrayed as the type of playoff player opponents quickly grow to hate because of his nonstop energy and agitation. Despite his size, he constantly pressures bigger players and has no hesitation confronting elite defensemen physically. Chad said Boston players became visibly frustrated with him during their series, including Charlie McAvoy. Beyond the agitation, they emphasized that Benson creates real offense through puck pressure and relentless forechecking.
One surprise from the discussion, and a correction from the round table is that it is Alex Lyon, not Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who currently owns Buffalo’s crease. Lyon has been excellent since taking over in game three against Boston and is in the middle of one of his trademark hot streaks. He is described as calm, experienced, and difficult to rattle under pressure. The real unknown is whether he can maintain that level in the intense playoff atmosphere of Montreal.
The wild card in Buffalo is Josh Norris who has gone under the radar for plenty of experts.
The thing to remember is that Buffalo is no longer just a run-and-gun offensive team built only on skill and speed. Chad explained that the Sabres now combine their transition game with a relentless forechecking structure that overwhelmed Boston. Forwards like Benson, Peyton Krebs, Josh Doan, and Beck Malenstyn were praised for constantly pressuring opponents into mistakes. The overall impression was of a much more complete playoff team capable of adapting to different styles of hockey.
It is a first big step forward in 29 years for Buffalo, but while this is now it is also important for the Sabres to do what Montreal has done this year, to be consistent and reach the playoffs for a couple of years straight, where this has the chance to become a budding rivalry in the coming years.
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