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Sabres at Red Wings preview: Point streaks on the line

Game #31

Buffalo Sabres (12-15-3) at
Detroit Red Wings (16-8-6)

Puck Drop: 7:30 pm EST | Joe Louis Arena | Detroit, MI

TV: MSG, Bell, FS-D | Radio: WGR 550

SB Nation Red Wings Blog: Winging It In Motown

Three Questions

1. Can the Sabres take advantage of a suddenly weak Red Wings PK?

Since losing Drew Miller to a broken jaw, the Detroit penalty kill is a dreadful 66% over their past four games. The Sabres power play is tied for second best in the NHL (well whattaya know) at 23.7%, so this should be a match up the Sabres can exploit tonight.

2. Will the Sabres be able to get the first goal?

When scoring first, the Red Wings have a dominant 15-2-4 record (as opposed the Sabres 7-5) and when leading after one, the Wings are 7-0-1. We all know that the first period has been Buffalo’s worst, so if the Sabres can strike first, it will go a long way toward breaking Detroit’s 13-game point streak.

2. Can ROR keep his point streak alive?

Buffalo’s #1 center has a seven game point streak going, amassing 10 points during that stretch, and he’s now 21st in the NHL with 27 points in 30 games.

Projected BUF lines

McGinn – R. O’Reilly – Reinhart

Moulson – Eichel – Kane

Gionta – Larsson – Girgensons

Foligno – Legwand – Deslauriers

Gorges – Ristolainen

McCabe – Bogosian
Weber – Franson

Projected DET lines

Larkin – Zetterberg – Abdelkader
Nyquist – Sheahan – Tatar
Helm – Datsyuk – Richards
Andersson – Glendening – Jurko
Kronwall – Green
DeKeyser – Ericsson
Smith – Marchenko
Goal: Petr Mrazek