Game 37

Buffalo Sabres (8-23-6) vs. New Jersey Devils (13-17-6)

Puck Drop: 7:00 PM EST | Prudential Center | Newark, NJ

TV: MSG

Radio: WGR 550

SB Nation Devils Blog: All About The Jersey

Know Your Opponent

New Jersey Devils

Record: (13-17-6) | 32 PTS

Division Ranking: 7th in East Division

PP: 28th (12.4%)

PK: 30th (73.1%)

1. Battle of the Basement Dwellers

Buffalo and New Jersey are in a position that no two teams want to be in - at the bottom of the division.

The Devils are second-worst, while the Sabres currently bring up the tail end of the division.

Oddly enough though? Three of Buffalo’s eight wins this season have come against the Devils.

Can Buffalo make it four of nine tonight?

2. Hall Scratched

With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, official word has recently come across that forward - and pending unrestricted free agent -Taylor Hall will NOT play tonight against the New Jersey Devils.

While there is not a trade actively being worked on, this is more a preservation of assets. Ensure the top trade piece that your team has available stays healthy before shipping him out of town.

3. Forward Momentum

The Buffalo Sabres have looked like a much different team under interim head coach Don Granato.

We have seen a record losing streak snapped and a group of guys that has looked like they are incredibly inspired to be better.

While the wins might not always come with those developments, these games feel like they are baby steps toward the greater picture. Will young players continue to learn and develop? Will players like Rasmus Dahlin find their way once more?

These reasons, and more, are why we still watch. Continue to look for that forward momentum tonight in Newark.

Projected Lineups

Buffalo Sabres

Forwards

TBA - Casey Mittelstadt - Tage Thompson

Victor Olofsson - Sam Reinhart - Kyle Okposo

Jeff Skinner - Riley Sheahan - Rasmus Asplund

Tobias Rieder - Cody Eakin - Steven Fogarty

Defense

Jacob Bryson - Rasmus Ristolainen

Rasmus Dahlin - Henri Jokiharju

Colin Miller - Brandon Montour

Starter: Linus Ullmark

New Jersey Devils

Forwards

Janne Kuokkanen - Jack Hughes - Yegor Sharangovich

Andreas Johnsson - Travis Zajac - Nick Merkley

Miles Wood - Pavel Zacha - Jesper Bratt

Mikhail Maltsev - Michael McLeod - Jesper Boqvist

Defense

Dmitry Kulikov - P.K. Subban

Ryan Murray - Damon Severson

Ty Smith - Sami Vatanen

Starter: Mackenzie Blackwood