Twist emerges and Buffalo just got the kind of lineup boost that can hurt the Canadiens

Buffalo finished the regular season at 50-23-9 for 109 points. Montreal closed at 48-24-10 for 106. The gap was thin, so one lineup edge matters more than usual.

Carrick changes the shape of Buffalo’s bottom six. He gives Ruff another center he can trust in hard minutes, on draws, and in board battles when the pace gets heavy.

That matters against a Canadiens team that leans on speed and quick exits. If Buffalo can force more defensive-zone starts for Montreal’s depth lines, the ice tilts fast.

Carrick is not moving like a passenger coming out for a light spin; he looks like a player pushing to get back into the mix.

Buffalo already had the stronger team profile over 82 games. The Sabres scored 288 goals and gave up 241. The Canadiens scored 283 and allowed 256.

So this is not about a star return. It is about Ruff getting one more reliable piece in the part of the lineup that decides playoff momentum after the top lines trade chances.

That can protect Buffalo’s bench, too. Ruff does not have to stretch other centers into extra defensive work if Carrick is ready for regular shifts.

And that is where this can sink Montreal. In a long series, the team with the steadier fourth line usually wins more pucks, more draws, and more ugly shifts below the tops of the circles.

Lindy Ruff clearing Carrick does not guarantee Buffalo wins Round 2.

It does mean Martin St-Louis now has one less soft matchup to hunt, and that is a nasty twist for a Canadiens team that was already chasing Buffalo in the standings.

Also read on House Of Hockey :
The real wild reason John Chayka was hired by the Leafs has leaked