Buffalo back on the road with Conference challenges ahead
Buffalo Sabres (26-16-5) at Carolina Hurricanes (30-15-4)
Puck Drop: 1:30 pm ET | Lenovo Center, Raleigh NC
TV: TNT, truTV, HBO Max
Radio: WGR 550
Know Your Opponent
Carolina Hurricanes
Record: 30-15-4 | 64 PTS
Last Game: 4-1 win against New Jersey Devils
Division Ranking: 1st, Metropolitan
PP: 13th, 21.5% (32/149) [Sabres: 20th, 19.6% (28/143)]
PK: 16th, 79.4% (112/141) [Sabres: 6th, 83.1% (108/130)]
What to Watch
1. Roadshow Time
The Sabres want to play in the big leagues, they’re going to have to take on the big boys. They’ve already shown they can hang with teams in their own barns, and today they play the matinee away at the 3rd best record in the league.
Carolina is laden with talent and are the second-most prolific scorers in the league while also in the top half of the league defensively. The Canes are as good at home as the Sabres are, good enough for 5th best, while the Sabres are only 25th best in the league on the road.
2. Big Time Debut
Konsta Helenius is expected to make his Buffalo Sabres debut and it will come in a pressure cooker of a situation. He’ll be lined up next to fellow youngster Noah Ostlund who has settled in very well and Josh Doan, who has been many times greater than the player we all thought was a bit of a makeweight in the JJ Peterka – Kesselring trade.
The 19-year-old has exploded this season at Rochester, scoring 30 points (9G, 21A) in 34 games. Let’s see what he can do at the biggest stage.
3. Goaltender Spotlight
In the last two weeks, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen went 3-0-1, .900 and 3.23 GAA, while Colten Ellis was 2-1-0, .907 and 2.71 GAA, which are pretty impressive numbers. Alex Lyon is fit again and has traveled on the road trip with the Sabres, with Lindy Ruff adding that he was sure to play at some time.
Lyon was 5-0-0 in the three weeks leading up to his injury, with a GAA of 1.97 and a .922 save percentage – if he can hit those numbers again then the Sabres will be in very good stead in the upcoming games.
Projected Lineups
Buffalo Sabres
Forwards
Zach Benson – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch
Jason Zucker – Ryan McLeod – Jack Quinn
Konsta Helenius – Noah Ostlund – Josh Doan
Peyton Krebs – Tyson Kozak – Beck Malenstyn
Defense
Mattias Samuelsson – Rasmus Dahlin
Bowen Byram – Owen Power
Zach Metsa – Michael Kesselring
Goalies: Ukko Pekka Luukkonen (projected starter), Colten Ellis
Carolina Hurricanes
Forwards
Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Seth Jarvis
Taylor Hall – Logan Stankoven – Jackson Blake
Nikolaj Ehlers – Jordan Staal – Jordan Martinook
Eric Robinson – Mark Jankowski – Jesperi Kotkaniemi
Defense
K’Andre Miller – Sean Walker
Jaccob Slavin – Jalen Chatfield
Alexander Nikishin – Joel Nystrom
Goalies:
Brandon Bussi (projected starter), Frederik Andersen