Game #12
Buffalo Sabres (2-8-1) at
Pittsburgh Penguins (6-2-1)
Three Questions
1. Can the Sabres stop the Penguins power play?
Pittsburgh is first in the league in power play percentage by a mile thanks to their ridiculous 39.5% conversion rate. The Sabres PK actually ranks ninth in the league at 85.4%, but they’ll need to be on point tonight to slow down the offensive juggernaut that is Pittsburgh.
2. Will Jhonas Enroth continue his run of very strong play in net?
The Penguins are first in the NHL in goals per game, scoring an average of four times per contest, while the Sabres obviously rank dead last in that category. If Buffalo is going to have any chance tonight, Enroth will need to come up huge versus the potent Penguins players. Enroth has a .915 save percentage thus far, and while his GAA is pretty ugly, he’s been the Sabres best player up to this point. He’ll need to bring his A+ game tonight.
3. Cody Hodgson has flip-flopped back to center, according to the morning skate. Will it help the third line find some offense?
Hodgson has been alternating at wing and center over the past two weeks, with middling results. He’ll be playing with some tough customers in Marcus Foligno and Chris Stewart, both coming off good efforts against Boston on Thursday. The Sabres top lines will be hard pressed to outscore the Penguins top lines, so getting some unexpected offense could help Buffalo tease the upset.
Projected BUF Lineup
Foligno – Hodgson – Stewart
Goal: Jhonas Enroth