It’s a battle of first versus worst tonight as the Anaheim Ducks host the Buffalo Sabres, who finish up their California road trip tonight at the Honda Center.
The Sabres are coming off yesterday’s shutout loss to Los Angeles, and will make a few lineup changes tonight, subbing in Mikhail Grigorenko and Nikita Zadorov for the injured Christian Ehrhoff and the ineffective Ville Leino.
Game #19
Buffalo Sabres (3-14-1) at Anaheim Ducks (13-3-1)
Puck Drop – 10:00pm EST – Honda Center – Anaheim, CA
TV – MSG, Bell TV | Radio – WGR 550-AM
SBNation Ducks Blog – Anaheim Calling
Three Questions
1. Will the Sabres come close in shot differential again tonight?
I’m not even asking for you to win in shot differential here, fellas, I’m just asking for you to keep it close like you did against LA. Buffalo did a better job in their own zone last night, limiting the Kings to under 30 shots, which is a minor miracle for this team. However, they only managed 19 shots of their own, which won’t cut it against most AHL teams, let alone a team with four times as many wins as you.
2. Can the PK rebound from a poor showing last night?
The Kings were 2 for 5 with the man advantage, and with Anaheim’s power play heating up recently, the Sabres can’t afford to give up any extra chances against a top team in the league.
3. How will Mikhail Grigorenko and Nikita Zadorov respond after being healthy scratches the past few games?
We ask about Grigorenko so much that his nickname should just be “The Question”, but seeing improvement in his game over the course of the season will be one of the factors that helps determine the success of this abysmal campaign. Zadorov has been very solid for an 18-year old d-man thus far, and while he won’t pick up Ehrhoff’s minutes, he can hopefully help solidify a back end that’s losing its leader.
Projected BUF Lines
Matt Moulson – Cody Hodgson – Tyler Ennis
Steve Ott – Mikhail Grigorenko – Marcus Foligno
Zemgus Girgensons – Johan Larsson – Brian Flynn
Corey Tropp – Cody McCormick – Drew Stafford
Tyler Myers – Mark Pysyk
Henrik Tallinder – Nikita Zadorov
Jamie McBain – Rasmus Ristolainen
Goal: Ryan Miller
Scratches/Injuries/Suspensions: Scott, Kaleta, Weber, Ehrhoff, Leino