Buffalo Sabres (15-21-5) vs. Ottawa Senators (19-17-3)
Puck Drop: 7:00 PM ET | Canadian Tire Centre | Ottawa, ON
TV: MSG
Know Your Opponent
Ottawa Senators
Record: 19-17-3 | 41 PTS
Last Game: 3-2 OT loss to Detroit (Jan. 7)
Division Ranking: 5th in Atlantic
PP: 24.6% (Sabres: 18.3%)
PK: 76.6% (Sabres: 77.8%)
What to Watch
1. Sens Back At Home
Tonight’s game is the first back at home for the Senators since December 14, following a lengthy road trip while the World Juniors were happening in Ottawa. The Sens are 10-6-1 at home this season, so Canadian Tire Centre has certainly been good to them. The Sabres, who are 7-11-2 on the road, will need a strong 60 minute effort to come out victorious.
2. Recent Struggles
That said, the Sens haven’t done well on the last leg of their recent road trip. They’ve lost five of their last six games dating back to December 22 and have lost three straight (including Tuesday’s OT loss). The Sabres come into tonight’s game on the heels of Monday’s 4-3 shootout win over the Washington Capitals, but lost three straight prior to that. The team overall has been very hot-and-cold this season (generally colder than hotter as of late). Tonight’s game is the last on the road for a bit, as the Sabres kick off a four-game homestand this weekend.
3. Roster Updates
Morning skate on Thursday was optional, so it’s anyone’s best guess what the actual lineup will look like. Beck Malenstyn, who remains ill, did not join the team in Ottawa. Per The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski, another player may also be too ill to play tonight. Elsewhere, Jiri Kulich is week-to-week with a lower-body injury, prompting the Sabres to recall forward Tyson Kozak from the AHL’s Rochester Americans.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is expected to get the start in net.
Projected Lineups
Buffalo Sabres
Forwards
Jason Zucker – Dylan Cozens – Tage Thompson
JJ Peterka – Ryan McLeod – Alex Tuch
Zach Benson – Peyton Krebs – Jack Quinn
Sam Lafferty – Tyson Kozak – Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Defense
Rasmus Dahlin – Bowen Byram
Owen Power – Connor Clifton
Mattias Samuelsson – Henri Jokiharju
Goalies: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, James Reimer
Ottawa Senators
Forwards
Brady Tkachuk – Shane Pinto – Ridly Greig
Claude Giroux – Tim Stützle – Drake Batherson
Nick Cousins – Josh Norris – Adam Gaudette
Cole Reinhardt – Zack Ostapchuk – Noah Gregor
Defense
Thomas Chabot – Nick Jensen
Jake Sanderson – Artem Zub
Tyler Kleven – Nikolas Matinpalo
Goalies: Anton Forsberg, Leevi Merilainen