Game 16

Buffalo Sabres (7-8-0) vs. Vancouver Canucks (4-9-3)

Puck Drop: 7:00 PM EST | KeyBank Center | Buffalo, NY

TV: MSG

Radio: WGR 550

SB Nation Canucks Blog: Nucks Misconduct

Know Your Opponent

Vancouver Canucks

Record: (4-9-3)

Last Game: 5-2 loss @ Bruins

Division Ranking: 7th in Pacific Division

PP: 27.6% (5th)

PK: 61.8% (32nd)

What to Watch

1. Success and Struggles on Special Teams

Both the Sabres and Canucks have similar special teams statistics, in both the good and bad. On the powerplay, Buffalo comes in at an even 25% (8th in the NHL), while Vancouver has been slightly better at 27.6% (5th in the NHL). As for the penalty kill, neither team can say they’ve had success in that area. Buffalo sits at a 73.9% rate (27th in the NHL) compared to Vancouver which is even worse at 61.8% (last in the NHL). Based on these numbers, it’s very easy to see that whoever is able to stay out of the box has a far greater chance to win on Tuesday night.

One player to absolutely keep an eye on (and if you haven’t been already, rethink your life), is Tage Thompson. Thompson has been electric on special teams the last three games, scoring two goals on the powerplay, as well as one shorthanded. If your top player can contribute in all facets of the game like he can, you got yourself a superstar.

2.  Goal Scoring Woes

Buffalo started out the year red hot from a scoring standpoint, putting up four or more goals in seven of the first 10 games. While the Sabres have faced challenging opponents during the five games since, they still have had trouble capitalizing on all the opportunities that have come their way. In the last three games, Buffalo was held to just one goal twice, despite outshooting their opponent in both games. The quantity of shots on net seems to be consistent for the Sabres, however the quality of the chances aren’t swinging in their favor.

On top of that, during the last three game stretch, Tage Thompson has scored four out of the six goals Buffalo has tallied during that time. As phenomenal as Tage is, the Sabres cannot simply rely on him to get on the score sheet once or twice every single night (although he’ll certainly try). While in a developmental phase and with Granato tinkering with the lines, Buffalo still has plenty of capable goal scorers that need to start producing on a more consistent basis. Facing off against a Canucks team that’s 30th in the league in GA/GP should be an opportunity to get back on track and end the five-game losing streak.

3. Injury Shuffling

While it could always be worse, the Sabres have been heavily impacted by injuries this early in the season. The unit most impacted so far has been the defense, with Dahlin, Samuelsson, Jokiharju, and Lyubushkin all missing at least one game due to injury. Fortunately for Buffalo, Dahlin and Lyubushkin haven’t missed significant time, and Jokiharju is projected to return to the lineup possibly against the Canucks (as Kale Clague was assigned back to Rochester). Even Samuelsson is trending in the right direction to come back within the next week or two, as he has begun skating with the team once again.

However, as the defense slowly becomes healthy again, the offense begins to take hits. Kyle Okposo missed last game and has been day-to-day, while Jack Quinn is new to the injury report with an undisclosed injury that will sideline him for at least a week. The Sabres luckily have more depth on offense than defense, so it’s not of major concern, but still never ideal as they had to call up Riley Sheahan and Anders Bjork from Rochester to fill the two open spots.

Projected Lineups

Buffalo Sabres

Forwards

Jeff Skinner - Tage Thompson - Alex Tuch

Peyton Krebs - Casey Mittelstadt - Victor Olofsson

Zemgus Girgensons - Dylan Cozens - JJ Peterka

Rasmus Asplund - Riley Sheahan - Vinnie Hinostroza

Defense

Owen Power - Rasmus Dahlin

Jacob Bryson - Henri Jokiharju

Lawrence Pilut - Ilya Lyubushkin

Goaltenders: Craig Anderson (projected starter), Eric Comrie

Scratches: Anders Bjork, Casey Fitzgerald

Injuries: Mattias Samuelsson, Kyle Okposo, Jack Quinn

Vancouver Canucks

Forwards

Conor Garland - Bo Horvat - JT Miller

Ilya Mikheyev - Elias Pettersson - Brock Boeser

Vasily Podkolzin - Sheldon Dries - Nils Hoglander

Dakota Joshua - Nils Aman - Will Lockwood

Defense

Oliver Eckman-Larsson - Ethan Bear

Quinn Hughes - Luke Schenn

Kyle Burroughs - Tyler Myers

Goaltenders: Spencer Martin (projected starter), Thatcher Demko

Scratches: Andrei Kuzmenko, Riley Stillman, Jack Rathbone

Injuries: Curtis Lazar, Tanner Pearson, Jack Studnicka, Travis Dermott, Tucker Poolman