Game #74 Preview & Open Thread: Sabres vs Kraken

Buffalo need to snap out of this slump

Buffalo Sabres (44-21-8) vs Seattle Kraken (32-29-10)

Puck Drop: 5:30 pm ET | KeyBank Center, Buffalo NY

TV: MSG-B, ESPN+

Radio: WGR 550, Sirius XM (app)

Know Your Opponent

Seattle Kraken

Record: 32-29-10 | 74 PTS

Last Game: 4-3 OT win over Tampa Bay Lightning; 3-6-1 in last ten games

Division Ranking: 4th, Central

PP: 15th, 21.1% (42/199) [Sabres: 16th, 20.7% (45/217)]

PK: 31st, 73.5% (139/189) [Sabres: 3rd, 83.1% (164/201)]

What to Watch

1. Avoid Needless Penalties

The Sabres penalty kill started the season hot, went off the boil, got their act together and then have suddenly gone stone cold again. Buffalo have given up six power play goals in the last four games, having gone short-handed fifteen times in that span.

In just the last two games, Dahlin and Stanley have taken three minors each with Norris on two penalties – that’s just asking for trouble.

2. Where Are The Goalies?

Speaking of trouble, what happened to the excellent goaltending we’d been getting? In their last three games, Alex Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen have had negative Goals Saved Above Expected stats. To some extent the goalies are also getting hung out to dry by the defense, and the constant chopping and changing of the third d-pair isn’t helping. We’ll need someone or something to spark things up again.

3. “Maximum Effort”

That’s also three straight games the Sabres have been outworked by their opponent, and have gone on to lose. Last night against Detroit was the first time in a while where they fell into a hole that they couldn’t come back from in the third period. They can’t keep sleepwalking through the beginning of games. The Kraken are fighting for a wildcard spot, just like the Bruins and Red Wings before them, so they will not be in a charitable mood either.

Tonight, in front of what should be another sellout crowd, we need to see Buffalo come screaming out of the blocks, peppering the Kraken goal with shots, throwing some bodies against the boards, and pinning the visitors back in their own defensive zone. If they give the crowd something to cheer about, the home support will truly manifest itself as an advantage.

Projected Lineups

Buffalo Sabres

Forwards

Peyton Krebs – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch
Jason Zucker – Ryan McLeod – Jack Quinn
Zach Benson – Josh Norris – Josh Doan
Tanner Pearson – Sam Carrick – Beck Malenstyn

Defense

Mattias Samuelsson – Rasmus Dahlin
Bowen Byram – Owen Power
Logan Stanley – Conor Timmins

Goaltenders

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (projected starter), Colten Ellis

Seattle Kraken