Grueling run continues with another game away at another Eastern Conference playoff contender

Buffalo Sabres (28-17-5) at New York Islanders (27-18-5)

Puck Drop: 1:00 pm ET | UBS Arena, Elmont, NY

TV: MSG-B, ESPN+

Radio: WGR 550, Sirius XM (app)

Know Your Opponent

New York Islanders

Record: 27-18-5 | 59 PTS

Last Game: 4-1 loss against Seattle Kraken; 5-4-1 in last ten games

Division Ranking: 3rd, Metropolitan

PP: 29th, 15.9% (24/151) [Sabres: 20th, 19.0% (28/147)]

PK: 9th, 82.1% (115/140) [Sabres: 7th, 83.2% (114/137)]

What to Watch

1. Fatigue is real

The Sabres will be playing their fourth game in six days, eighth game in twelve days, or eleventh in nineteen days, but whichever way you cut it, that’s a lot of close games where Lindy Ruff has shortened the bench in critical third periods and a lot of Buffalo’s players are getting worn down.

Injuries also tend to go on the rise when players are fatigued, but there is a two-day break coming up after this one, and it will be a welcome respite for the Sabres who have gone 7-3-1 this month.

2. Special teams the difference?

Both teams have similar power play and penalty kill records, so this is definitely an area where parity is expected but an opportunity to pull ahead too. The Isles are hanging on to playoff contention in a competitive Metropolitan division, which is not as cutthroat as the Atlantic this season, but still pretty close.

The Islanders power play is quite atrocious on the road, but at home they are a somewhat-respectable 19th, while on the road the Sabres penalty kill is 8th, about where their overall record is. The Sabres power play on the road is pretty bad at 27th and the Islanders have the third-best penalty kill at home, so expect little there.

3. Balanced scoring

The Sabres have been benefiting from getting points up and down the lineup this week, with the HBO line stealing the spotlight – Benson, Ostlund and Helenius are three of the youngest players on the roster but have been causing havoc in opposing areas, with Helenius leading the way with four points.

Bowen Byram and Owen Power continue to play positive and responsible hockey, but the points haven’t quite come for them this week. Michael Kesselring getting more minutes should hopefully give them a break and can let them focus on the offensive side of things.

Projected Lineups

Buffalo Sabres

Forwards

Josh Doan – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch
Jason Zucker – Ryan McLeod – Jack Quinn
Zach Benson – Noah Ostlund – Konsta Helenius
Jordan Greenway – Peyton Krebs – Beck Malenstyn

Defense

Mattias Samuelsson – Rasmus Dahlin
Bowen Byram – Owen Power
Zac Jones – Michael Kesselring

Goaltenders

Alex Lyon (projected starter), Colten Ellis

New York Islanders

Forwards

Jonathan Drouin – Bo Horvat – Emil Heineman
Anders Lee – Matthew Barzal – Anthony Duclair
Maxim Shabanov – Jean-Gabriel Pageau – Simon Holmstrom
Casey Cizikas – Calum Richie – Kyle MacLean

Defense

Matthew Schaefer – Ryan Pulock
Adam Pelech – Tony DeAngelo
Adam Boqvist – Scott Mayfield

Goaltenders

David Rittich (projected starter), Ilya Sorokin