Sabres Face Canadiens in First Post-Playoff Clash; Dahlin Sidelined The Buffalo Sabres visit the Montreal Canadiens for the first time since their playoff series, seeking to construct on a win over Florida. Captain Rasmus Dahlin is out with an upper-body injury,while Tage Thompson leads the NHL in shots and the team looKs to extend its power-play success against a struggling Canadiens offense. The Buffalo Sabres continue a busy week of divisional matchups as they face the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Bell Centre. This marks the first meeting between the two teams since thier intense seven-game playoff series in the second round,which featured high-scoring games and frequent momentum shifts. The Sabres are looking to build on their recent 5-3 victory over the Florida Panthers, a game where they overcame multiple rallies and the loss of thier captain, Rasmus Dahlin, due to an upper-body injury. In Dahlin's absence, defenseman Dennis Gilbert has been recalled from Rochester and will make his NHL season debut. Tage Thompson enters the game leading the league in shots on goal (30), while Owen Power has been logging heavy minutes, ranking seventh in ice moment among NHL skaters. The Sabres' power play has shown improvement, converting 3-of-9 opportUnities in their last two games after a slow start.The Canadiens are coming off a shootout triumph over Detroit and will be without key players Ivan Demidov and Mike Matheson. Their power play has struggled early in the season (1-for-17) and they have yet to secure a dominant victory. In net, Jacob Fowler will start for the third consecutive game, boasting a .938 save percentage.Historically, the Sabres have a robust record against Montreal, with 138 career wins, the most against any single opponent. Buffalo is also looking to extend its power-play goal streak to three games, which would be its longest such streak since early 2026. With key contributors like Thompson, Norris, and Kulich returning to the scene of their playoff triumphs, this Atlantic Division rivalry promises to be as exciting as ever.