Buffalo Sabres - Colorado Avalanche Game Preview
Buffalo – 5-7-4 | - 14 points – 8th place in the Atlantic Division
Colorado – 11-1-5 | - 27 points – 1st place in the Central Division
Special Teams
Buffalo
Power Play – 16.7% (25th)
Penalty Kill – 90.0% (1st)
Colorado
Power Play – 17.9% (20th)
Penalty Kill - 88.9% (2nd)
Top Scorers
Buffalo
Alex Tuch: 16 GP, 6 G, 8 A, 14 PTS
Tage Thompson: 16 GP, 6 G, 6 A, 12 PTS
Josh Doan: 16 GP, 4 G, 5 A, 9 PTS
Colorado
Nathan MacKinnon: 17 GP, 14 G, 18 A, 32 PTS
Cale Makar: 17 GP, 6 G, 17 A, 23 PTS
Logan Cooley: 17 GP, 10 G, 10 A, 20 PTS
Starting Goalies
Buffalo – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (1-1-1, 2.91 GAA, .877 Sv %)
Utah – Scott Wedgewood (10-1-2, 2.26 GAA, .913 Sv %)
Other Sabres Stories
Sabres Line Combinations and Pairings
Forwards
Alex Tuch - Ryan McLeod - Tage Thompson
Jordan Greenway - Tyson Kozak - Josh Doan
Isak Rosen - Noah Ostlund - Jack Quinn
Beck Malenstyn - Peyton Krebs - Josh Dunne
Ex. Mason Geersten
Defense
Bowen Byram - Conor Timmins
Mattias Samuelsson - Owen Power
Jacob Bryson - Michael Kesselring
Ex. Zac Jones
Goaltenders
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Colten Ellis
Alex Lyon
Injuries
Josh Norris (IR - upper body)
Justin Danforth (IR - lower body)
Zach Benson (day-to-day - lower body)
Jason Zucker (IR - illness)
Jiri Kulich (IR - blood clot)
Rasmus Dahlin (day-to-day - personal)
Notes
Alex Tuch has recorded 14 points (6+8) in his last 14 games, including four points (2+2) in his last three road contests.
In his last four road games, Tage Thompson has tallied five points (3+2). Thompson is riding a three-game point streak against Colorado and he has registered 15 points (8+7) in his last eight games against the Avalanche. Among all Sabres skaters with at least five games played against the Avalanche with Buffalo, Thompson ranks second all-time in points per game (1.67) and goals per game (0.89). Pat LaFontaine (1.75 points per game in 16 games) and Jochen Hecht (1.00 goals per game in 5 games played) rank first in those categories, respectively.
Isak Rosen has posted four points (3+1) in five games since making his season debut on Nov. 1 vs. Washington, the most goals and points among all Sabres skaters in that span. All four of Rosen’s points have come at even strength.
Noah Ostlund has posted one assist in back-to-back games and an assist in tonight’s game would mark the first assist streak of three or more games of his career. He would become the first Sabres rookie forward to do so since Zach Benson from April 2 to 7, 2024 (three games; 0+5).
Alex Lyon has recorded a save percentage of .904 in five games against the Avalanche in his career.
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