Game #14
Buffalo Sabres (5-7-1) vs. New York Rangers (8-2-1)
Puck Drop: 7:00 pm at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
TV: MSG-B
Radio: WGR-550
Know Your Opponent
New York Rangers
Record: New York Rangers (8-2-1)
Division Ranking: 4th in the Metropolitan Division
Last Game: 5-2 win against the New York Islanders
PP Ranking: 6th (28.12%)
PK Ranking: 2nd (92.31%)
What to Watch
1. Teams Almost Even in Record and Recent Games
Buffalo enjoys an almost even record vs. New York, going 88-89-5 since 1970. The Sabres beat the Rangers in two of their last four meetings, including their most recent matchup on Dec. 23, 2023. The Blue Shirts are currently a better team than the Blue and Gold, sitting in the Metropolitan Division’s fourth place while Buffalo is near the Atlantic Division’s bottom. If the Sabres want to earn their second consecutive win, they’ll need to play the same aggressive hockey they showed against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night.
2. Avoid Penalties
The New York Rangers are one of the NHL’s top 10 power play teams, scoring 28% percent of the time with the man advantage. The Sabres, by contrast, rank almost dead last, only scoring 13% of the time as of this writing. Buffalo has unfortunately let in too many power play goals lately, giving up two to Detroit Red Wings’ forward Dylan Larkin in one of their most recent games. If the Sabres hope to prevail in this one, they’ll want to stay out of the penalty box.
3. UPL Makes the Save
Starting Sabres’ goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is expected to be between the pipes in this matchup. Luukkonen is playing well lately, enjoying a .904 SV% and 2.92 GAA. He won his last game, a 5-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Fans hope UPL keeps displaying the sharp, disciplined goaltending he’s shown recently and limit the Blue Shirts’ scoring chances.
Projected Lineups
Buffalo Sabres
Forwards
JJ Peterka – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch
Zach Benson – Dylan Cozens – Jack Quinn
Jordan Greenway – Ryan McCleod – Jason Zucker
Beck Malenstyn – Peyton Krebs – Sam Lafferty
Defense
Rasmus Dahlin – Bowen Byram
Owen Power – Jacob Bryson
Dennis Gilbert – Connor Clifton
Goaltending
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (confirmed starter), Devon Levi
New York Rangers
Forwards
Artemi Panarin – Mika Zibanejad – Alexis Lafreniere
Will Cuylle – Vincent Trochek – Reilly Smith
Chris Kreider – Filip Chytil – Kaapo Kakko
Adam Edstrom – Sam Carrick – Jimmy Vesey
Defense
Ryan Lindgren – Adam Fox
K’Andre Miller – Jacob Trouba
Zac Jones – Brandon Schneider
Goaltending
Igor Shesterkin (confirmed starter), Jonathan Quick