Vancouver Canucks (16-20-5) at Buffalo Sabres (21-15-4)
Puck Drop: 7:00 PM | KeyBank Center | Buffalo, New York
TV: MSG-B
Radio: WGR 550
Know Your Opponent
Vancouver Canucks
Record: 16-20-5 | 37 PTS
Division Ranking: 8th in Pacific Division
Last Game: 3-2 Overtime Loss vs Bruins
PP: 14th (20.3%) | Sabres Rank: 22nd (18.0%)
PK: 30th (73.9%) | Sabres Rank: 1st (85.4%)
What to Watch
1. Zucker’s Return
Jason Zucker is scheduled to rejoin the lineup in Buffalo tonight. He has been out for the last 11 games with upper- and lower-body injuries he sustained against Edmonton on December 9th. The veteran scorer will skate on a line with Norris and Tuch, with Ostlund moving down to the fourth line. His most significant impact will likely be on the powerplay. Despite missing 19 games this year, Zucker leads the team with five power-play goals. His net front presence will be vital to improving the 22nd-ranked unit.
2. Rebound Game
The Sabres find themselves in a position they haven’t been in for a month: looking to rebound after a loss. Now that the streak is over, they need to prove it wasn’t a flash in the pan and that they can replicate their improved standard of play. The last time Buffalo had a 10-game winning streak (November 2018), they followed it up with five straight losses. The failure to maintain their streak with quality play erased the standings gains and ultimately left them without a whiff of the playoffs down the stretch. It cannot be emphasized enough how critical the next stretch of games is. They must build on their December success to keep pace in the ridiculously tight Eastern Conference playoff race. For context, Buffalo is tied with Vegas for 13th in the league. However, Vegas leads its division, and Buffalo currently sits three points behind a wild-card spot.
3. Don’t Play Down
Buffalo has an excellent opportunity to add one to the victory column against the Quinn Hughes-less Canucks. Vancouver has lost three straight and 5 of their last six. They are also 31st in the league with 37 points. The Sabres have played well at home, but they cannot take them lightly. As noted above, the standings are too tight to let points slip away against a team on the verge of a deadline sell-off. If Buffalo surrenders an early lead, it could be in for a tough night against a team with nothing to lose.
Projected Lineups
Buffalo Sabres
Forwards
Krebs – Thompson – Doan
Zucker – Norris – Tuch
Benson – McLeod – Quinn
Greenway – Ostlund – Malenstyn
Defense
Samuelsson – Dahlin
Power – Byram
Bryson – Metsa
Starter: Luukkonen
Vancouver Canucks
Forwards
DeBrusk – E.Pettersson – Karlsson
Kane – Sasson – Boeser
O’Connor – Kampf – Sherwood
Ohgren – Raty – Hoglander
Defense
M.Pettersson – Willander
Buium – Hronek
E.N.Pettersson – Myers
Starter: Demko