Buffalo Sabres (21-23-4) vs. San Jose Sharks (13-31-4)
Puck Drop: 4:00 PM EST | SAP Center | San Jose, CA
TV: MSG
Radio: WGR-550
Know Your Opponent
San Jose Sharks
Record: 13-31-4
Last Game: 3-2 Overtime Win over the New York Rangers
Division Ranking: 8th, Pacific
PP: 16.9%, 22nd
PK: 71.8%, 32nd
What to Watch
- Taking Advantage of the Worst in the League
Today’s game is a must-win. A lot of the time, against weaker teams, there is a misconception that the game will be lopsided or essentially a “free win.” Sometimes, what unfortunately occurs is that people forget that even though the Sharks are the worst team in the league, there is still a group of capable hockey players who compete in the best league in the world. Even if their star power is not comparable to other teams in the NHL, they have the ability to perform at a level beyond their expectations and make this a game that costs the Sabres points they cannot afford to lose. Hoffman was once a 30-goal scorer, Hertl is still a capable producer up front, and Duclair has the speed and finesse to make the Sabres pay.
With that in mind, the Sabres must play like they are desperate for the 2 points because, in reality, they are. There is no longer any room for error. Especially against a team like San Jose. Analytically, San Jose is not good. They are not good at scoring or keeping the puck out of their own net. They are not good at keeping possession of the puck, and when they do have it, they don’t do a very good job of holding on to it. For all of these reasons and several more, such as roster depth, Buffalo has every reason to make this a win.
- Ending San Jose’s Longest Win Streak
Something to consider before this afternoon’s matchup against the Sharks is that they are currently on their longest win streak of the season. While a 3-game win streak tells you everything you need to know about how San Jose’s season has gone so far, this team has been streaky. After a terrible start to the season, the Sharks went 6-3-1 through a 10-game stretch between the end of November and early December. Should the Sharks be heading toward another combination of wins, the Sabres will have to make sure they are one of the 3-4 losses during that stretch.
During their current 3-game win streak, the Sharks have an atypical level of production from their depth players, such as Ryan Carpenter and Nico Sturm, while also getting offensive contributions from the backend from Jan Rutta and Kyle Burroughs. More importantly, they have had exceptional performances from Tomas Hertl and Fabjan Zetterlund, two of their key forwards this season. In order to end San Jose’s win streak, the Sabres will have to keep a keep eye out for those two players in particular.
Projected Lineups
Buffalo Sabres
Forwards
Jeff Skinner – Tage Thompson – Kyle Okposo
Jack Quinn – Dylan Cozens – JJ Peterka
Jordan Greenway – Casey Mittelstadt – Alex Tuch
Zach Benson – Peyton Krebs – Eric Robinson
Defense
Rasmus Dahlin – Mattias Samuelsson
Ryan Johnson – Owen Power
Henri Jokiharju – Connor Clifton
Goaltenders
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Devon Levi
San Jose Sharks
Forwards
Hoffman – Hert – Zetterlund
Barabanov – Couture – Duclair
Eklund – Sturm – Kunin
Zadina – Carpenter – Bailey
Defense
Vlasic – Emberson
Mukhamadullin – Rutta
Okhotyuk – Burroughs
Goaltenders
Kaapo Kahkonen (Likely Starter), Mackenzie Blackwood