Game 52
Buffalo Sabres (26-21-4) vs. Los Angeles Kings (29-18-7)
Puck Drop: 10:30 PM | Crypto.com Arena | Los Angeles, CA
TV: MSG-B
Radio: WGR 550
SB Nation Kings Blog: Jewels from the Crown
Know Your Opponent
Los Angeles Kings
Record: 29-18-7 | 65 PTS
Last Game: 6-0 win over Pittsburgh
Division Ranking: 4th in Pacific Division
PP: 7th (24.5%)
PK: 27th (74.9%)
What to Watch
1. Switching Things Up
Don Granato has switched up the Sabres’ lines in practice the last two days, which will seemingly carry over into Monday night’s game. Buffalo had what may have been ‘the toughest practice’ of the season following Saturday’s implosion against Calgary. That’s the kind of game that forces a coach’s hand – you have to do something drastic to get the team back on track. Will the changes be enough? Who knows. It’s not great that the Sabres are coming into tonight’s game on the heels of such a bad loss (and a three-game skid), while the Kings come in off a 6-0 win over Pittsburgh, but this is the time for Buffalo to say “Okay, Saturday was a one-off. We’re a good hockey team, let’s prove it.”
2. Back to You, Andy
Craig Anderson is set to make his return to the net tonight. Assuming he’s your starter, it’ll be his first action since January 23. If that seems like a long time, well, the All-Star Break and the bye week certainly help. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has played much of the Sabres’ games lately, with a little Eric Comrie sprinkled in. It’s time to go back to Andy, at least for one game amid a busy stretch out in California.
Anderson has appeared in 17 games this season and started 16 of those. His record is 8-6-2 with a 2.73 GAA and .918 save percentage. By all technical markers, he is the Sabres’ best goaltender this season.
3. California, Here We Come
The Sabres’ last win in Los Angeles came on October 17, 2019. Granted, the Sabres don’t head out to California all that often, so while it may seem like a long time ago, it’s really not. Buffalo went 2-1 in their California trip in 2019, then went a dreadful 0-3 in 2021. Let’s see if they can get at least two of three wins this year.
The Sabres, of course, beat the Kings earlier this season with a 6-0 win in Buffalo. During that game (December 13), Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens each had three points. Anderson was in net and made a perfect 40 saves for his first – and to date, only – shutout of the season.
Projected Lineups
Buffalo Sabres
Forwards
Jeff Skinner – Dylan Cozens – Alex Tuch
Casey Mittelstadt – Tage Thompson – Kyle Okposo
Rasmus Asplund – Tyson Jost – Victor Olofsson
Zemgus Girgensons – Peyton Krebs – Jack Quinn
Defense
Rasmus Dahlin – Mattias Samuelsson
Owen Power – Henri Jokiharju
Kale Clague – Ilya Lyubushkin
Goaltenders: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Eric Comrie, Craig Anderson (expected starter)
Los Angeles Kings
Forwards
Quinton Byfield – Anze Kopitar – Adrian Kempe
Trevor Moore – Phillip Danault – Viktor Arvidsson
Kevin Fiala – Blake Lizotte – Alex Iafallo
Jaret Anderson-Dolan – Rasmus Kupari – Arthur Kaliyev
Defense
Mikey Anderson – Drew Doughty
Sean Durzi – Matt Roy
Alexander Edler – Sean Walker
Goaltenders: Pheonix Copley, Jonathan Quick
Injuries: Carl Grundstrom, Gabriel Vilardi