Buffalo Sabres – New Jersey Devils Game Preview
2/2/25 – 1:00 pm EST at KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY
Record
Buffalo – 20-26-5 | 45 points – 8th place in the Atlantic Division
New Jersey – 29-18-6 | 64 points – 3rd place in the Metropolitan Division
Special Teams
Buffalo
Power Play – 16.8% (27th)
Penalty Kill – 77.8% (T-20th)
New Jersey
Power Play – 28.9% (2nd)
Penalty Kill – 82.6% (5th)
Top Scorers
Buffalo
Tage Thompson: 46 GP, 25 G, 20 A, 45 PTS
JJ Peterka: 49 GP, 14 G, 26 A, 40 PTS
Rasmus Dahlin: 43 GP, 6 G, 31 A, 37 PTS
New Jersey
Jack Hughes: 53 GP, 20 G, 40 A, 60 PTS
Jesper Bratt: 53 GP, 16 G, 42 A, 58 PTS
Nico Hischier: 51 GP, 24 G, 19 A, 43 PTS
Starting Goalies
Buffalo – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (17-15-4, 2.97 GAA, .898 save %)
New Jersey – Jake Allen (8-9-1, 2.49 GAA, .908 save %)
Line Combinations and Pairings
Buffalo
Forwards
JJ Peterka - Jiri Kulich - Tage Thompson
Jason Zucker - Dylan Cozens - Alex Tuch
Zach Benson - Ryan McLeod - Jack Quinn
Beck Malenstyn – Peyton Krebs - Sam Lafferty
Defense
Rasmus Dahlin - Bowen Byram
Mattias Samuelsson - Owen Power
Jacob Bryson - Henri Jokiharju
Ex.: Dennis Gilbert, Connor Clifton
Goaltenders
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
James Reimer
Injuries
Jordan Greenway (IR - middle body)
Notes
Rasmus Dahlin has recorded 18 assists in his last 17 games and an assist in today’s game would give him a three-game assist streak. Today, Dahlin is expected to break a tie with Doug Bodger and gain sole possession of the 12th-most games played by a Sabres defenseman in franchise history (480).
Tage Thompson has posted 20 points (9+11) in his last 17 games, including seven points (5+2) in his last five. Thompson has registered at least one point in back-to-back games and he would notch his sixth point streak of three or more games with a point in today’s game.
JJ Peterka has tallied eight points (4+4) in his last five games. Peterka would match the longest assist streak of his career with an assist in today’s game.
Jiri Kulich has registered seven points (4+3) in his last five games and he is riding a three-game point streak (3+1). A point in today’s game would make Kulich (20 years, 294 days) the youngest Sabres forward to record a point streak of four or more games since JJ Peterka from Oct. 13 to 20, 2022 (four games; 2+2).
In his last 16 games, Jason Zucker has recorded 16 points (9+7), including four points (2+2) in his last four games.
Ryan McLeod has collected five points (4+1) in his last five games. A point in today’s game would give McLeod his second point streak of three or more games this season (Oct. 12 to 22; 4+1; five games).
Owen Power has recorded one assist in three consecutive games and he would match the longest assist streak of his career (Oct. 19 to 28, 2024; 0+6; four games) with an assist in today’s game.
Dylan Cozens has posted three assists in his last three games.
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