Game 41
Buffalo Sabres (20-18-2) vs. Nashville Predators (19-16-6)
Puck Drop: 8:00 PM EST | Bridgestone Arena | Nashville, TN
TV: MSG, ESPN+
Radio: WGR 550
SB Nation Predators Blog: On the Forecheck
Know Your Opponent
Nashville Predators
Record: 19-16-6
Last Game: 4-3 win over Canadiens
Division Ranking: 5th in Central Division
PP: 28th (16.7%)
PK: 15th (79.2%)
What to Watch For
1. Getting Back on Track
The Sabres are looking to get back on track Saturday night following three straight losses at home. Maybe the change of venue will be a nice change of pace for them. Expect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in net once again, with Jack Quinn & JJ Peterka slotting back into the lineup. Peyton Krebs was assigned to the Amerks in a paper move to make the space. Zemgus Girgensons is out with a non-COVID illness.
Tonight’s game also marks the midway point of the season. Through the first 40 games, the Sabres went 20-18-2 with 42 points. Their road record is 11-7-0, while they’ve gone 9-11-2 at KeyBank Center.
2. A Busy Week
Tonight’s game kicks off a stretch of five games in eight days for the Sabres. After tonight’s tilt in Nashville, Buffalo comes home to host the Panthers for a matinee (1 p.m.) face-off on Monday. They’ll travel to Chicago for an 8:30 p.m. puck drop Tuesday before hosting the Islanders and Ducks on Thursday & Saturday.
3. Players to Watch
Just as the Sabres have their weapons in guys like Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens, so too do the Predators. Filip Forsberg has 34 points in his last 34 games, while Roman Josi has 29 points in his last 32 games and Matt Duchene has 11 points in his last 12 days.
Rookie Juuso Parssinen has recorded 16 points, including 12 assists, in his first 27 NHL games. He’ll be on the top line alongside Forsberg and Colton Sissons tonight.
Projected Lineups
Buffalo Sabres
Forwards
Jeff Skinner – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch
JJ Peterka – Dylan Cozens – Jack Quinn
Casey Mittelstadt – Tyson Jost – Victor Olofsson
Vinnie Hinostroza – Rasmus Asplund – Kyle Okposo
Defense
Mattias Samuelsson – Rasmus Dahlin
Owen Power – Henri Jokiharju
Jacob Bryson – Ilya Lyubushkin
Goaltenders: Craig Anderson, Eric Comrie, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (projected starter)
Scratches: Kale Clague?, Peyton Krebs (paper move – assigned to AHL)
Injuries/Illness: Zemgus Girgensons
Nashville Predators
Forwards
Filip Forsberg – Juuso Parssinen – Colton Sissons
Cole Smith – Ryan Johansen – Matt Duchene
Nino Niederreiter – Cody Glass – Mikael Granlund
Yakov Trenin – Thomas Novak – Tanner Jeannot
Defense
Ryan McDonagh – Roman Josi
Mattias Ekholm – Alexandre Carrier
Jeremy Lauzon – Dante Fabbro
Goaltenders: Yaroslav Askarov, Juuse Saros
Injuries: Mark Borowiecki, Kevin Lankinen