Buffalo looking to go into the Olympic break on a positive note

Buffalo Sabres (32-18-6) vs Pittsburgh Penguins (28-15-12)

Puck Drop: 7:00 pm ET | KeyBank Center, Buffalo NY

TV: MSG-B, ESPN+

Radio: WGR 550, Sirius XM (app)

Know Your Opponent

Pittsburgh Penguins

Record: 28-15-12 | 68 PTS

Last Game: 5-4 OT defeat against New York Islanders; 7-1-2 in last ten games

Division Ranking: 2nd, Metropolitan

PP: 3rd, 26.4% (38/144) [Sabres: 16th, 20.1% (33/164)]

PK: 3rd, 84.2% (133/158) [Sabres: 9th, 82.1% (124/151)]

What to Watch

1. 2nd in the Atlantic

The Sabres are playing for some high stakes tonight. Win and they go second in the Atlantic Division. Given how tough some of the teams in their division are, Buffalo will want to control their own fate come playoffs by pulling one of the wildcard teams rather than getting sent to take on one of the heavyweights.

While a loss tonight doesn’t end that possibility, it’ll certainly have a feel-good factor to win given they’re going off on a two week Olympic break and you want those good vibes flowing through that interval.

Lindy Ruff confirmed that Zach Benson will return after the break, which is good news for the team’s energetic talisman.

2. Special Teams

Many of us had imagined Pittsburgh would be in a rebuild year, but instead their veterans have been playing like they’re ten years younger and have dragged the Pens into Division-winning contention. Sidney Crosby is still at PPG level with 59 pts in 55 games, with Evgeni Malkin at 43 pts in 40 played.

The Pens are ranked third in the league in both power play and penalty kill, so if there is ever a game the Sabres want to play penalty-free, tonight is it.

Also, Egor Chinakhov has been a bit of an inspired addition, scoring eleven points since the turn of the year, including eight goals, all at even strength.

3. This is OUR House

The barn should be rocking tonight. There tends to be a few Pens fans in the crowd whenever Pittsburgh visits, but it should be nowhere like the Habs and Leafs games. Buffalo wants a playoff audition? The team has been playing like it, and the fans need to make the home advantage count as well.

The Sabres are 7th best at home, going 17-7-3, of which a sizeable number of those defeats came earlier in the season before this rejuvenation happened. Buffalo are fourth highest scorers at home with 3.59 GF/GP, with a tenth best home defense at 2.81 GA/GP.

Pens are 7th best on the road, going 15-7-5, so you shouldn’t expect them to be pushovers either. There’s a lot of experience on that team, and they will give us a playoff-caliber game. Pittsburgh averages 3.26 GF/GP on the road (7th), and a measly 2.56 GA/GP on the road (2nd), so they do know how to lock it down and take the crowd out of it.

Projected Lineups

Buffalo Sabres

Forwards

Peyton Krebs – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch
Jason Zucker – Ryan McLeod – Jack Quinn
Josh Doan – Noah Ostlund – Konsta Helenius
Isak Rosen – Tyson Kozak – Beck Malenstyn

Defense

Mattias Samuelsson – Rasmus Dahlin
Bowen Byram – Owen Power
Jacob Bryson – Zach Metsa

Goaltenders

Alex Lyon (confirmed starter), Colten Ellis

Pittsburgh Penguins

Forwards

Rutger McGroarty – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin
Anthony Mantha – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau
Connor Dewar – Kevin Hayes – Noel Acciari

Defense

Parker Wotherspoon – Erik Karlsson
Brett Kulak – Ryan Shea
Ilya Solovyov – Connor Clifton

Goaltenders

Stuart Skinner, Arturs Silovs (confirmed starter)