Canadiens Preview And Lines: Jakub Dobes Given The Start

The Montreal Canadiens (28-26-5) are set to face the Buffalo Sabres (24-28-5), with the puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET.

The Habs are playing some of their best hockey of the year, evidenced by their current three-game winning streak. The strong play has propelled them back into the playoff conversation, however, thanks to the forced parity of the NHL, they’re also just a handful of points ahead of teams set to draft in the top five at this summer’s NHL Entry Draft.

The Canadiens will count on Jakub Dobes to guard the net, his first start since February 9, an inevitable period of inaction due to the 4 Nations Faceoff break. The rookie goaltender currently sports a .908 save percentage, which is a much more realistic snapshot of his potential. That’s not to say he did not deserve praise when he started his NHL career with a series of nearly immaculate games, but his hot start did raise the bar to a point where the expectations were no longer realistic.

ON TOPIC: Canadiens Analysis: Impact Of Long-Term Kirby Dach Injury

Kirby Dach will not be in the lineup, as he’s dealing with yet another unfortunate season-ending injury, indicating that rookie Owen Beck is likely to remain in the NHL for the foreseeable future. Beck registered his first career point on Thursday versus the San Jose Sharks via a heavy dose of tenacity, not to mention a penchant for creating something out of nothing every time he hits the ice.

Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup

Buffalo Sabres Lineup

Greenway – Thompson – Tuch

Peterka  – Cozens – Quinn

Benson – McLeod – Kulich

Malenstyn – Krebs – Lafferty

Byram – Dahlin

Power – Samuelsson

Gilbert – Jokiharju

Luukkonen

How to Watch the Montreal Canadiens vs. the Buffalo Sabres, Saturday, March 1, 2025.

Game 60 of the regular season will be aired on TVA Sports, City TV, and Sportsnet. Once the game is over, an instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Montreal Hockey Now.