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Sabres vs. Stars preview: Ruff returns, Bogosian or Girgensons to play?

Game #18

Buffalo Sabres (8-8-1) vs.
Dallas Stars (14-4-0)

Puck Drop: 7:00 pm EST | First Niagara Center | Buffalo, NY

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

SB Nation Stars Blog: Defending Big D

Three Questions

1. Will either Zach Bogosian or Zemgus Girgensons play tonight?

The Sabres have been waiting for Bogosian to return from injury for a long time, and he’s reportedly ready to go this week. Whether or not he’ll play tonight might be a game time decision, but his return would, presumably, push Carlo Colaiacovo and Mike Weber back to the bench.

Zemgus Girgensons, on the other hand, was given the day off yesterday after taking a nasty hit in Buffalo’s previous game. If he can’t go tonight, expect the return of Tim Schaller to the lineup in his place.

2. Can the Sabres contain the Stars’ stars?

Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin are two of the top three scorers in the NHL this season, while defenseman John Klingberg ranks sixth among all skaters in total points. The Sabres will look for the pair of Josh Gorges and Rasmus Ristolainen to slow these three down, but very few teams have been able to do so this year.

3. Which part-time goalie will look like a starter?

Both the Sabres and Stars have a unique situation in their crease as neither team truly has a starting goaltender. For the Sabres, Chad Johnson and Linus Ullmark have been filling in for the injured Robin Lehner on an almost 50/50 basis, while for the Stars, Kari Lehtonen and Antii Niemi have each started nine games this year. Ullmark and Lehtonen have the better numbers on their respective teams, but will either be able to slow down tonight’s potentially high-scoring matchup?

Projected BUF lines

Moulson – O’Reilly – Gionta

Larsson – Eichel – Ennis

Foligno – Girgensons/Schaller – Reinhart

Deslauriers – Legwand – McGinn

Gorges – Ristolainen

McCabe – Pysyk
Colaiacovo – Franson
Bogosian?

Goal: Linus Ullmark

Projected DAL lines

Benn – Seguin – Sharp

Janmark – Spezza – Eaves

Roussel – Eakin – Nichushkin

Sceviour – Fiddler – Hemsky

Goligoski – Klingberg

Oduya – Demers
Oleksiak – Benn

Goal: Kari Lehtonen