Game 2
Buffalo Sabres (1-0-0) vs New Jersey Devils (0-0-1)
Puck Drop: 7:00 PM EST | KeyBank Center | Buffalo, NY
TV: MSG-B
Radio: WGR 550
SB Nation Devils Blog: All About the Jersey
Know Your Opponent
New Jersey Devils
Record: (0-0-1) | 1 PT
Last 10: 0-0-1
Division Ranking: 5th in Metropolitan Division
Conference Ranking: 9th in Eastern Conference
PP: 28th (0.0%)
PK: T-1st (100.0%)
What to Watch
Homecoming
It’s the home opener for the team, and the city is buzzing after Thursday’s win in Pittsburgh. Party in the Plaza. Captain’s Night. Kickoff for the 50th season. There is a lot of excitement surrounding tonight’s game.
The Sabres need to take advantage of that early in the matchup. Last season, they won only four home games when the opponent scored first. Getting the first goal and playing with the lead would give the team confidence and get an exuberant crowd to take it up a notch right away.
First, second
Buffalo’s second line of Marcus Johansson, Jeff Skinner and Vladimir Sobotka, was largely ineffective in the season opener. The trio produced the lowest corsi percentage of any line playing in that game – in a 3-1 victory. That means that the team that last had better shifts from all of its lines than the second line on a team that won.
It’s tough to watch, to be honest. Everyone knows how dynamic Skinner can be, and Johansson can break open a game, as well. The anchor weighting that line down is clearly Sobotka. While fans are enjoying the impressions new head coach Ralph Kruger is leaving on the team, Sobotka in the top-six is a head scratcher.
The numbers back up what the eyes have told me on the 53-90-17 line pic.twitter.com/Qr0y4skel6
— Chad DeDominicis (@CMDeDominicis) October 4, 2019
Danger zone
Buffalo did a fantastic job shutting down the Penguins in the defensive zone. Dimitri Filipovic tweeted that the Sabres allowed only one high-danger shot at even strength. That’s an incredible change from last season. While it’s only one game, it has to be meaningful.
They’re going to have to do that again tonight. New Jersey put four straight goals in on Winnipeg last night, before losing control of the game and giving up four straight. If Buffalo can control the zone, the Devils are obviously not without their weaknesses, and traveling into Buffalo after playing mere hours ago. No rest for the wicked. The Sabres need to pounce.
Game Prediction
Buffalo Sabres
Forwards
Victor Olofsson – Jack Eichel – Sam Reinhart
Jeff Skinner – Marcus Johansson – Vladimir Sobotka
Jimmy Vesey – Casey Mittelstadt – Conor Sheary
Zemgus Girgensons – Johan Larsson – Kyle Okposo
Defense
Rasmus Dahlin – Colin Miller
Jake McCabe – Rasmus Ristolainen
Marco Scandella – Henri Jokiharju
Starting Goaltender (projected): Carter Hutton
New Jersey Devils
Forwards
Taylor Hall – Nico Hischier – Kyle Palmieri
Nikita Gusev – Jack Hughes – Jesper Bratt
Blake Coleman – Travis Zajac – Wayne Simmonds
Miles Wood – Pavel Zacha – John Hayden
Defense
Will Butcher – Sami Vatanen
Mirco Mueller – Damon Severson
Starting Goaltender: MacKenzie Blackwood