The Atlantic Division-leading Detroit Red Wings (5-1) are away tonight to play the Buffalo Sabres (2-4-0)
Where: Buffalo’s KeyBank Center
When: 7:30 p.m.
TV/Radio: TNT/FanDuel Sports Network/97.1 FM
Odds: Detroit (+1.5,-275), Buffalo (-1.5, +200), ESPNBet
Hot: Dylan Larkin has a six-game points streak (5-6–11) to start the season
Not: Jonatan Berggren, 25, is the subject of trade rumors because he can’t secure a permanent place in the lineup.
Spotlight: Rookie Emmitt Finnie is coming off his first three-point game. He was also plus-3 in the overtime win against the Oilers
Absence: Patrick Kane will miss his second game with an undisclosed upper body injury. He isn’t on this two-game road trip.
Story: Cam Talbot is 3-0 with a 1.78 GAA and .932 save percentage. It feels like it’s his time to start, although that is not official…Larkin is looking to become the first Red Wings player to record consecutive four-point games since Brendan Shanahan did it in 1996-97. If he extends his point streak to seven games, he will become the eighth active player to record at least two season-opening points streak of seven or more games…The Red Wings rank fourth in the NHL with a 92.3% penalty killing efficiency.
Detroit Projected Lines
Emmitt Finnie — Dylan Larkin — Lucas Raymond
Alex DeBrincat — Marco Kasper — Michael Brandsegg-Nygard or Elmer Soderblom
James van Riemsdyk–Andrew Copp — Michael Rasmussen
Mason Appleton — JT Compher — Jonatan Berggren
Defense Pairings
Ben Chiarot — Moritz Seider
Simon Edvinsson — Axel Sandin-Pellikka
Albert Johansson-Jacob Bernard-Docker –
Goalie
Cam Talbot or John Gibson (McLellan said Tuesday he had not made up his mind)
Buffalo
Story: The Sabres lost 4-2 to Montreal after a modest two-game winning streak… Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is in Rochester on a conditioning assignment…Former Red Wings goalie Alex Lyon has started every game for Buffalo and has played impressively well. He’s 2-4 with a 2.55 goals-against average and .924…Injuries: Center Josh Norris long-term upper body injury; Jacob Bryson, LW Luke Greenway and LW Beck Malenstyn are day-to-day…CBS Sports reports that LW Michael Kesselring is out until Nov. 1.
Projected Lines
Zach Benson — Jiri Kulich — Tage Thompson
Josh Doan — Ryan McLeod — Alex Tuch
Jason Zucker — Peyton Krebs — Jack Quinn
Mason Geertsen — Tyson Kozak — Josh Dunne
Defense Pairings
Bowen Byram — Rasmus Dahlin
Owen Power — Conor Timmins
Mattias Samuelsson — Zach Metsa
Alex Lyon (Colten Ellis backing up)
Colten Elli
Brandon Hagel – Brayden Point – Nikita Kucherov
Jake Guentzel – Anthony Cirelli – Gage Goncalves
Pontus Holmberg- Yanni Gourde – Oliver Bjorkstrand
Mitchell Chaffee – Conor Geekie – Curtis Douglas
Defense Pairings
Victor Hedman – J. J. Moser
Ryan McDonagh- Erik Cernak
Emil Lilleberg – Darren Raddysh
Andri Vasilevskiy (Jonas Johansson backing up)