Game #10

Buffalo Sabres (4-4-1) vs. Florida Panthers (6-3-1)

Puck Drop: 7:00 PM EDT | KeyBank Center

TV: MSG-B, ESPN+

Know Your Opponent

Florida Panthers

Record: 6-3-1 | 13 PTS

Last Game: 6-3 win against Islanders

Division Ranking: 1st

PP: 15th, 20.0% (5/25 opps) [Sabres: 32nd, 3.9% (1/26 opps)]

PK: 4th, 89.3% (25/28 killed) [Sabres: 16th, 77.8% (21/27 killed)]

What to Watch

1. Stanley Cup Champions Return

The Sabres were winless in their first three games to start the season when the defending champions came to Buffalo. Surprisingly enough at the time, Buffalo controlled the game and picked up their first victory of the season at the time.

Tonight, the Sabres are on a three-game winning streak and have picked up points in five of their last six games. The Panthers are on a two-game winning run of their own and lead the division again. It’s still early days, but there are five teams in the division with four wins, so there’s quite a logjam developing already.

2. Feeling Better Now?

Buffalo took their time settling into the new season but some of the hallmarks of a Lindy Ruff team are starting to show. Despite some early injury woes and the non-existent second line, the Sabres are starting to stack up some points and looking like a competent hockey team.

There’s still work to be done with tightening up the leaky defense and both goaltenders are still giving up lots of goals, but with the offense kicking into gear (at 5v5, no less), the signs are good.

3. Raz’ Growing Influence

It was so puzzling it had to be an anomaly. Rasmus Dahlin being an anonymous bystander on this roster to start the season was odd. He’d just been named team captain for the season and folks were starting to wonder if that was a mantle that was too heavy for the Swede to bear. There had been talk of a lingering injury and then the whole training spat with Peyton Krebs, and it all pointed to some off-ice issues that needed sorting out.

Well, that appears to be a thing of the past now, as in the last couple of games or so we’re seeing the Dahlin that we’ve gotten used to. He’s starting to control the game more with the puck on his stick, and that is when he is at his absolute best.

NB: Owen Power is dealing with an illness and might be out tonight.

Projected Lineups

Buffalo Sabres

Forwards

JJ Peterka – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch
Nicolas Aube-Kubel – Dylan Cozens – Jack Quinn
Jordan Greenway – Ryan McLeod – Jason Zucker
Beck Malenstyn – Peyton Krebs – Sam Lafferty

Defense

Rasmus Dahlin – Henri Jokiharju
Bowen Byram – Owen Power
Mattias Samuelsson – Connor Clifton

Goalies: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (projected starter), Devon Levi

Florida Panthers

Forwards

Evan Rodrigues – Aleksander Barkov – Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Jesper Boqvist
A.J. Greer – Patrick Giles – Mackie Samoskevich