Game 5
Buffalo Sabres (2-2-0) vs Arizona Coyotes (1-2-0)
Puck Drop: 9:00 PM | Gila River Arena | Glendale, AZ
TV: MSG-B
Radio: WGR 550
SB Nation Coyotes Blog: Five for Howling
Know Your Opponent
Arizona Coyotes
Record: (1-2-0) | 3 PTS
Last 10: 1-2-0
Division Ranking: 6th in the Pacific Division
Conference Ranking: 13th in the Western Conference
PP: 21st (11.1%)
PK: 7th (91.7%)
What to Watch
1. Could Ullmark get the start?
Young goaltender Linus Ullmark has been waiting in the wings while Carter Hutton has played solidly for the Sabres through four games. Given that this tilt with Arizona is among the weaker opponents the Sabres will face out west, it makes sense for Ullmark to get the start.
2. Zemgus (hah-hah) Girgensooooons
If Girgensons is going to remain a constant in the lineup, he’s going to have to prove once-and-for-all that he stands out from Johan Larsson – from an advanced statistics standpoint, they are almost identical players.
3. Set the tone
Buffalo has a tendency for slow starts, and they can’t afford one in this matchup. It is important not only to set the tone early in the game, but also to build momentum for the remaining five matchups in the western swing.
Buffalo Sabres
Forwards
Conor Sheary – Jack Eichel – Sam Reinhart
Jeff Skinner – Casey Mittelstadt – Kyle Okposo
Johan Larsson – Patrik Berglund – Tage Thompson
Zemgus Girgensons – Evan Rodrigues – Jason Pominville
Defense
Marco Scandella – Rasmus Ristolainen
Nathan Beaulieu – Casey Nelson
Starting Goaltender: Linus Ullmark
Arizona Coyotes
Forwards
Richard Panik – Derek Stepan – Vinnie Hinostroza
Brendan Perlini – Clayton Keller – Christian Fischer
Michael Grabner – Brad Richardson – Nick Cousins
Lawson Crouse – Dylan Strome – Mario Kempe
Defense
Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Jason Demers
Kevin Connauton – Niklas Hialmarsson
Alex Goligoski – Ilya Lyubushkin
Starting Goaltender: Antti Raanta