The Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres matchup on Tuesday night isn't just any old regular season game at the Bell Centre. The Sabres are in a tailspin, losing ten consecutive games in a season where they should be at least in contention for a playoff spot and could slide to last in the Atlantic Division with a loss. The Canadiens are one point behind the Sabres with a game in hand, which means they'd jump Buffalo in the standings with a victory in this game.
The Sabres aren't just sitting on their hands and waiting for their young players to break out. Team owner Terry Pegula made an unprecedented move and met with the team in Montreal on their off-day on Monday, speaking with the players about the franchise's direction. Pegula didn't announce any changes to his front office or roster, but he likely won't wait much longer if the Canadiens win on Tuesday night. It's hyperbole to say Tuesday's game is the biggest in Buffalo's franchise history, but it could be the biggest of this era.
What direction will the Sabres go if the Canadiens win on Tuesday? Will they continue to wait for a resurgence that may never come? Will they make a massive move like the one Elliotte Friedman suggested on his most recent 32 Thoughts Podcast that would see Dylan Cozens and Bowen Byram traded to the Vancouver Canucks for Elias Pettersson? Friedman was adamant that the Sabres wouldn't do anything to put their team in a worse position, but acquiring a star like Pettersson could be the shake-up they need.
What a loss means for the Canadiens
Will the Canadiens feel the weight of this game, and if they do, will it be a good indicator of where the team is? It is just any other game for the Canadiens, but they have to know the noise surrounding their opponents, and it could be the jolt they need to wake up and start playing some winning hockey. Would the Canadiens take pride in continuing the Sabres' struggles and sending them to a franchise-changing move? Or, the better question could be if they'd have enough pride to play their guts out to ensure they don't lose to a team on a ten-game losing streak.
The Canadiens will get their opponents' best effort on Tuesday night. I'll be interested to see if they answer the bell or if they roll over and allow the Sabres to get back in the win column. It's a game against a division rival to get themselves out of the standings' basement, so there should be some pride on the line. If they allow the Sabres to walk all over them and steal this win to get up three points in the standings, it'll tell me much more about the Canadiens than the Sabres.