Red-Hot Sabres Host Capitals

Game 65

Buffalo Sabres (23-33-8) vs. Washington Capitals (35-20-10)

Puck Drop: 7:00 PM | KeyBank Center | Buffalo, NY

TV: MSG

Radio: WGR 550

SB Nation Capitals Blog: Japers’ Rink

Know Your Opponent

Washington Capitals Record: 35-20-10 | 80 PTS

Division Ranking: 4th in Metropolitan Division

PP: 19th (19.7%)

PK: 15th (80.0%)

What to Watch

1. Caps Hope to Bounce Back

After winning four straight, including two in shootouts and another in overtime, the Capitals have dropped their last two games. They fell to the Dallas Stars 3-2 on March 20, then suffered a 5-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues on March 22.

The Sabres, meanwhile, are riding high on the opposite end of things. Buffalo enters tonight’s game on the heels of their third straight overtime victory. They’ve won five of their last six games and 7 of their last 10.

2. Hold off Ovechkin

It’s no surprise that 36-year-old Alex Ovechkin leads the Caps with 40 goals and 76 points on the season. We all know how lethal his shot is, and just how good he can be. Ovechkin’s five-game point streak recently came to an end in the loss against the Blues, but he still has recorded at least a point in 9 of his last 11 games. The Sabres will need to take extra care against him if they hope to hold him off the scoresheet.

3. Granato’s Pregame Comments

Play fearless. Play aggressive. #LetsGoBuffalo

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) March 25, 2022

Projected Lineups

Buffalo Sabres

Forwards

Skinner - Thompson - Tuch

Krebs - Cozens - Hinostroza

Asplund – Mittelstadt – Olofsson

Girgensons - Eakin – Okposo

Defense

Dahlin - Jokiharju

Miller - Pysyk

Samuelsson - Bryson

Starter: Tokarski

Washington Capitals

Forwards

Ovechkin - Kuznetsov - Johansson

Mantha - Backstrom - Sheary

McMichael - Eller - Wilson

Jonsson-Fjalby - Dowd - Hathaway

Defense

Fehervary - Carlson

Orlov - Jensen

Irwin - Schultz

Starter: Samsonov