Preview: Sabres look to keep rolling in the Big Apple

Game 15

Buffalo Sabres (7-5-2) vs New York Rangers (5-7-1)

Season Series: 1-0 Sabres

• 10/6 - Sabres 3, Rangers 1 (Coverage)

Puck Drop: 7:00 P.M. | Madison Square Garden | New York, NY

TV: MSG-B

Radio: WGR 550

SB Nation Rangers Blog: Blueshirt Banter

Know Your Opponent

New York Rangers

Record: (5-7-1) | 11 PTS

Last 10: 5-4-1

Division Ranking: 8th in the Metro Division

Conference Ranking: 14th in the Eastern Conference

PP: 20th (19.0%)

PK: 24th (73.8%)

What to Watch

1. Dahlin in or out?

Rasmus Dahlin missed the third period of the game yesterday against the Senators after taking a shot off the foot. Reports indicate the injury isn’t serious and he could still play today. We’ll see if the Sabres decide to rest him until their next game on Thursday or if he’s good to go.

2. Don’t underestimate your opponent

The Rangers are near the bottom of the league in the standings, but are a quick team that shouldn’t be overlooked. They’re well rested with their last game coming on Thursday in Anaheim. They’re on a two-game winning streak (shootout wins), but we’ll see if the first home game from a west-coast trip trap catches the Rangers tonight.

3. Can the Sabres first line be stopped?

The Sabres top line is arguably the hottest in the NHL right now. Jason Pominville, Jeff Skinner, and Jack Eichel are the top scoring players in the league since they’ve been put together on October 20. They’re coming off of a combined nine point day yesterday. We’ll see if the Rangers have an answer.

Buffalo Sabres

Forwards

Jeff Skinner - Jack Eichel - Jason Pominville

Conor Sheary - Casey Mittelstadt - Sam Reinhart

Evan Rodrigues - Vladimir Sobotka - Kyle Okposo

Zemgus Girgensons - Johan Larsson - Patrik Berglund

Defense

Jake McCabe - Rasmus Ristolainen

Rasmus Dahlin/Nathan Beaulieu - Casey Nelson

Marco Scandella - Zach Bogosian

Starting Goaltender: Carter Hutton (unconfirmed)

New York Rangers

Forwards

Vlade Namestnikov - Mika Zibanejad - Mats Zuccarello

Chris Kreider- Kevin Hayes - Ryan Spooner

Jimmy Vesey - Brett Howden - Jesper Fast

Cody McLeod - Filip Chytil - Vinni Lettieri

Defense

Brady Skjeii - Anthony DeAngelo

Brendan Smith - Kevin Shattenkirk

Marc Staal - Neal Poink

Starting Goaltender: Henrik Lundqvist