Afternoon Affair by the Arch
Buffalo Sabres (13-19-4) at St. Louis Blues (17-16-4)
Puck Drop: 3.00 PM EST | Enterprise Center | St. Louis, MO
TV: MSG-B, ESPN+
Know Your Opponent
St. Louis Blues
Record: 17-16-4 | 38 PTS
Division Ranking: 6th in the Central Division
Last Game: 7-4 Win vs Nashville Predators
PP: 26th (15.7%) Sabres 29th (14.6%)
PK: 24th (75.8%) Sabres 23rd (77.2 %)
What to Watch
Don’t Forget Buffalo’s Other Sports Team
The redheaded stepchild Buffalo Sabres take on the St. Louis Blues today in an afternoon game starting at 3 pm. In direct competition will be Western New York’s favorite son, the Buffalo Bills. That game should be well into the 3rd quarter at puck drop. Hopefully Josh Allen and company have the New York Jets down and out by that time.
Meanwhile, the Sabres will be looking for their 3rd straight victory on the heels of that horrific losing streak. The competition has not been stellar but you have to win the games in front of you. Buffalo will need to do a lot of that in the coming months for any chance at the playoffs. (just play along) Good thing for them, the team is really gelling right now, playing pretty good D and scoring goals too. Rasmus Dahlin looks to be fully recovered from his back issues, notching 6 assists in his last 2 games. Alex Tuch is fresh off his hat trick against Chicago. Dylan Cozens has 6 points in his last 5 games. J.J. Peterka has points in 6 straight games. (2-6-8) And let us not forget Jack Quinn, with 4 goals in his last 5 games and 6 points overall. His time in the press box seems to have served him well.
More Subpar Competition
The Blues just moved a game over .500 with a victory over Nashville on Friday night. They sit 6th in their division and are currently out of position for the post season. Of course, the Sabres are still worse off than St. Louis right now. But Buffalo should be glad for these last 3 games on the schedule. (Isles, Blackhawks, Blues) While no team should be taken lightly, today’s game presents another good chance for a needed win. After today, the Sabres next 4 contests are tough ones. They face Dallas, Colorado, Vegas and Washington. Thankfully, these games are all spaced out, with rest time for UPL in between. In fact, all of the games for the next 3 weeks are, no back to backs at all. Reimer should still probably see a game or two in there if needed.
St Louis is led by Jordan Kyrou, who tops the team with 15 goals and 31 points. First line center Robert Thomas, who has missed more than 10 games, is right behind him with 28 points. Also hot lately is forward Dylan Holloway, who has 3 goals and 5 points in his last 5 games. A surprise contributor recently is newly acquired Cam Fowler. After spending 14 seasons with the Ducks, the defender has 5 points in 7 games with the Blues. A much better scoring clip for him than his 4 points in 17 games for Anaheim earlier this season.
Learn Those Winning Ways
The long season we are always hearing about is nearing the halfway point. The Sabres need to keep collecting as many wins as possible. Chances are bleak for the post season but the team needs to learn to win at a better clip. And recover better from a loss even more. They must establish a better focus and winning mindset in these last 45 games. Don’t be a pushover and don’t go quietly. Fight until the end in every game. And maybe, just maybe, the latter part of the season can be a turning point for this franchise. The Buffalo breakthrough we have all hoped for. Lord knows we are due. The remainder of this season should be treated as a stepping stone to bigger and better things. For the core veterans and core young players alike. Finish strong, add a few talented veterans over the summer and come out guns blazing in the fall of 2025.
Now, if you have had enough hope and sunshine shoved up your butt, here is today’s lineup.
Projected Lineups
Buffalo Sabres
Forwards
Jason Zucker – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch
J.J. Peterka – Dylan Cozens – Jack Quinn
Zach Benson – Jiri Kulich – Peyton Krebs
Beck Malenstyn – Ryan McLeod – Sam Lafferty
Defense
Rasmus Dahlin – Bowen Byram
Mattias Samuelsson – Owen Power
Jacob Bryson – Connor Clifton
Goalies: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, James Reimer
St. Louis Blues
Forwards
Jake Neighbours – Robert Thomas – Pavel Buchnevich
Dylan Holloway – Brayden Schenn – Jordan Kyrou
Brandon Saad – Oskar Sundqvist – Zack Bolduc
Alexey Toropchenko – Mattieu Joseph – Nathan Walker
Defense
Cam Fowler – Colton Parayko
Philip Broberg – Justin Faulk
Ryan Suter– Tyler Tucker
Goaltenders: Jordan Binnington, Joel Hofer
* With an early start time today, lineups are projected from yesterday. Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said that Mattias Samuelsson had a maintenance day on Saturday but is expected to play today.