Game #12

Buffalo Sabres (4-6-1) vs. Detroit Red Wings (4-5-1)

Puck Drop: 7:00 PM EST | Little Caesars Arena | Detroit, MI

TV: MSG-B

Radio: WGR 550

Know Your Opponent

Detroit Red Wings

Record: 4-5-1 | 9 PTS

Division Ranking: 5th in the Atlantic Division

Last Game: 6-2 Loss vs. Winnipeg Jets

PP: 23.3% (10th)

PK: 65.6% (30th)

What to Watch

1. Show Some Urgency, Please

For several seasons now, the monkey on Buffalo’s back has been their inability to show up for a full 60 minutes consistently. This lack of urgency has been especially evident in the first period. The Sabres have trouble establishing momentum and putting pucks towards the net in the first 20 minutes…and then seem to wake up in the second period when it is often too late.

In their loss to the Winnipeg Jets earlier this week, Detroit faced this exact problem. The Red Wings fell behind early on as their opponents scored a quick two goals just five minutes into the game. Was this the sole reason they lost? No, but playing catch-up is never an ideal strategy. Even though the Sabres scored first in last night’s game against the Islanders and lost, it still helps increase their chances of winning if they get on the board first, especially against a team like Detroit.

2. Try to Look at the Positive

It has been tough to keep pushing forward with this team, but there have been a few glimmers of greatness so far this season. The first one being new teammate Jason Zucker. The winger has tallied one goal in three consecutive games. His goal against the Islanders marked his longest streak since March of 2023 and he has – simply put – been fun to watch.

Another forward doing his part is of course Tage Thompson. “TNT” is currently in a career-high point streak (eight games) and if he earns a point tonight, he will have the longest point streak by a Buffalo Sabre since Jeff Skinner in 2022. Thompson – who has 13 points so far this season – has also historically done well against the Red Wings with 18 points in their last 10 matchups.

3. Power Play

The Sabres have finally dug themselves out of the scoreless power play and they even had a goal with the man-advantage last night, but they need to keep it going. Detroit has one of the worst penalty kills in the league and Buffalo will need to take advantage of this tonight. Positioning needs to be better and presence in front of the net for the screen needs to be more consistent. Sounds obvious, right?

Projected Lineups

Buffalo Sabres

Forwards

JJ Peterka – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch

Jordan Greenway – Ryan McLeod – Dylan Cozens

Jason Zucker – Peyton Krebs – Jack Quinn

Beck Malenstyn – Sam Lafferty – Nicolas Aube-Kubel

Defense

Rasmus Dahlin – Henri Jokiharju

Bowen Byram – Owen Power

Mattias Samuelsson – Connor Clifton

Goaltenders: Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen (expected starter), Devon Levi

Detroit Red Wings

Forwards*

Alex DeBrincat – Dylan Larkin – Patrick Kane

Andrew Copp – J.T. Compher – Lucas Raymond

Jonatan Berggren – Marco Kasper – Vladimir Tarasenko

Michael Rasmussen – Joe Veleno – Christian Fischer

*Center Tyler Motte is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Defense

Simon Edvinsson – Moritz Seider

Ben Chiarot – Jeff Petry

Erik Gustafsson – Albert Johansson

Goaltenders: Cam Talbot (confirmed starter), Alex Lyon