Game #56
Buffalo Sabres (23-27-5) vs Anaheim Ducks (25-24-7)
Puck Drop: 7:00 PM ET | KeyBank Center, Buffalo NY
TV: MSG-B, ESPN+
Know Your Opponent
Anaheim Ducks
Record: 25-24-7 | 57 PTS
Last Game: 5-4 OT loss to the Red Wings
Division Ranking: 6th, Pacific
PP: 31st, 11.9% (18/151 opps) [Sabres: 27th, 17.0% (27/159 opps)]
PK: 27th, 73.6% (117/159 killed) [Sabres: 19th, 78.2% (129/165 killed)]
What to Watch
1. One Game At A Time
For the Sabres to make the playoffs they’re going to have to start mounting some Winnipeg Jets levels of winning streaks (they have three separate runs of seven, eight and nine victories in a row in just this season).
That does seem highly unlikely at this point, but they can only control what they can control, and that is the games they are playing in. It does mean they need to be beating teams in and around their level, and definitely winning games against opponents sitting in front of them in the wildcard race.
Against the Ducks, they are playing a team that has struggled mightily as they go through a rebuild. That said, Anaheim are about six points out of second wildcard slot in the Western Conference and this game is not a gimme for the Sabres at all.
Buffalo will be taking on an opponent though that has come through two consecutive overtime games on back-to-back nights, beating the Bruins before losing to the Red Wings after clawing back from a three-goal deficit. There might be an opportunity to catch them on tired legs after an East Coast swing.
2. Fighting Ducks
While the Ducks have underperformed and are on the outside looking in for the postseason, they do have quite a bit to be positive about.
Right winger Troy Terry leads the team in scoring with 41 in 51 games though that is a bit behind his nearly point-per-game pace in his breakout seasons a couple of years ago. The Ducks have six players in double digit goals, and though they do have their offensive struggles as the lowest scoring team in the league, it’s their miserly defense that keeps them in games.
They are 17th in the league in terms of goals against (as opposed to Buffalo who are 26th) and the Ducks remain undefeated in regulation this season when scoring at least three goals.
3. Reinforcements Return
The Sabres roster has been weakened at some crucial junctures this season by injuries to key players. Lindy Ruff had the trio of Jordan Greenway, Mattias Samuelsson and Beck Malenstyn all return for the 8-2 mauling of the Rangers, and though Alex Tuch left the game after taking a big hit, he is expected to be fine for tonight’s tilt. Greenway missed 23 games with his issue, well over a quarter of the season, and his absence has been definitely felt this season. Expect the penalty kill to get beefed up, as well as just the general toughness of the team with his return.
Speaking of injuries, while superstar Rasmus Dahlin is 1st among all NHL defensemen in assists per 60 minutes at 5-on-5, his goalscoring has been down this season primarily due to his shot totals reducing from last season across the board for all shot types.
After his star turn against the Rangers last weekend, Dahlin was asked about his shooting and he let on about some continuing health issues.
“I’ve been working through some nagging injuries. I wasn’t able to really shoot it. Let’s blame it on that.”
Projected Lineups
Buffalo Sabres
Forwards
JJ Peterka – Jiri Kulich – Tage Thompson
Jason Zucker – Ryan McLeod – Alex Tuch
Jordan Greenway – Dylan Cozens – Jack Quinn
Zach Benson – Peyton Krebs – Beck Malenstyn
Defense
Bowen Byram – Rasmus Dahlin
Owen Power – Mattias Samuelsson
Dennis Gilbert – Henri Jokiharju
Goalies: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (projected starter), James Reimer
*Per Lance Lysowski, Zucker and Tuch will be game-time decisions, said Lindy Ruff. Sabres may go 11-7 if one or both can’t play.
**Game time update –
Peterka-Kulich-Thompson, Zucker-McLeod-Tuch, Greenway-Cozens-Quinn, Malenstyn-Krebs-Benson, Byram-Dahlin, Samuelsson-Power, Gilbert-Jokiharju
Anaheim Ducks
Forwards
Trevor Zegras – Leo Carlsson – Alex Killorn
Frank Vatrano – Ryan Strome – Troy Terry
Cutter Gauthier – Mason McTavish – Robby Fabbri
Ross Johnston – Isac Lundestrom – Brett Leason
Defense
Jackson Lacombe – Radko Gudas
Olen Zellweger – Jacob Trouba
Brian Dumoulin – Drew Helleson
Goalies:
Lukas Dostal (projected starter), Oscar Dansk