Game #4
Buffalo Sabres (1-1-1) at Vancouver Canucks (3-0-0)
Puck drop: 10 p.m. EST | Rogers Arena | Vancouver, British Columbia
TV: MSG-B, SN360 | Radio: WGR 550
SB Nation Canucks Blog: Nucks Misconduct
Three Questions
1. Will Buffalo finally win a game in Vancouver, with Miller out?
Yes you read that right, the Sabres will not be going up against old friend Ryan Miller tonight. The goalie is recovering from an abdomen strain and will be back-up for Jacob Markstrom.
Buffalo has not won a game at Rogers Arena since 2012, and the home team has won 11 of the last 13 games between the two.
2. Who will continue their scoring streak tonight?
Rasmus Ristolainen is the only Sabres player to have scored points in all three games so far. Matt Moulson’s goalscoring and Sam Reinhart’s points streaks ended on Tuesday night.
Ryan O’Reilly has three goals in the last two games, while Brian Gionta, Kyle Okposo, Johan Larsson and Marcus Foligno all have points in both road games.
Secondary scoring has been good so far on this West Coast trip, and it’ll be good to get that continuing tonight.
3. Will Buffalo’s special teams continue to be special?
The power play and penalty killing units have carried the team on this road trip. The Sabres penalty killers are one of three teams in the league to maintain their 100% status, along with Florida and Minnesota. The power play group is also in the League’s top ten so far, ranking joint seventh at a 25% clip, with four goals from sixteen opportunities so far.
The Canucks are yet to score from ten power play chances, and have given up one goal in seven penalties killed. Vancouver are off to a surprise 3-0-0 start, with all three being third period comebacks (2 OT, 1 SO). The Sabres cannot continue to play tonight like they did leading in the third on Tuesday night.
Projected BUF Lines
Reinhart – O’Reilly – Okposo
Foligno – Larsson* – Gionta
Deslauriers – Girgensons – Ennis
Moulson – Grant – Baptiste
Gorges – Ristolainen
McCabe – Bogosian
Kulikov – Franson
Goal: Robin Lehner
*Larsson said this morning he is ready to go, but Fasching is also ready to play if needed.