Canadiens beat the Sabres 3-0 in game featuring two of the Eastern Conference’s worst teams
What happens when the team with the worst road record in the NHL visits the team with worst home record? That was the scenario Friday night at Key Bank Center, where the Canadiens added to the Sabres’ record of futility at home by posting a 3-0 win. As has been the case for much of this season, backup goaltender Antti Niemi showed why he should be a hot commodity on the free-agent market as he made 34 saves for his first shutout of the season. The win improved his record to 6-4-4. Who’s No. 31: Both teams are looking forward to see where they’ll finish in the NHL Draft lottery and the Sabres’ loss improved their chances of getting the No. 1 overall pick. They’re currently in last place with 58 points, three behind Arizona. The Canadiens moved up into the 26th spot with 66 points, one ahead of Detroit.
Lehkonen hits double figures: After dealing with a slow start and injuries, Artturi Lehkonen is showing the form he displayed as a rookie. He gave the Canadiens a 1-0 lead at 4:56 of the second period. Buffalo rookie goaltender Linus Ullmark made a save on Alex Galchenyuk but Lehkonen was in front of the net for his 10th goal of the season after Jacob de la Rose fired the rebound off the end boards. Lehkonen has scored five goals in the last eight games. Paul Byron scored his 18th into an empty net and Brendan Gallagher got his 27th on another empty-netter.
Special teams update: The Canadiens’ power play, which has been decent this season, failed to show up in this game. Montreal had two power plays and managed only one shot on goal. The Montreal penalty kill, which ranks last in the league, came up big in the third period after back-to-back penalties to Nikita Scherbak and Lehkonen gave the Sabres a 5-on-3 advantage for 1:06. The Sabres had five shots during the two penalties, but the defence held, and Ryan O’Reilly pitched in when he had an open net but fanned on the shot.
Home sweet home: The Canadiens have lost more games than they ’ve won at the Bell Centre this season, but their 17-12-8 record is certainly better than their road record. They return to the friendly confines Saturday to meet the Washington Capitals (7 p.m., Sportsnet, TVA Sports, TSN-690 Radio). They’ll face the Detroit Red Wings on Monday in another race-to-the-bottom game.