Buffalo looking to keep pace in the Eastern Conference playoff race
3/19/24 – 10:00 pm EST at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC
Record
Buffalo – 33-31-5 | 71 points – 6th place in Atlantic Division
Vancouver – 42-18-8 | 92 points – 1st place in Pacific Division
Special Teams
Buffalo
Power Play – 16.9% (26th)
Penalty Kill – 79.2% (17th)
Vancouver
Power Play – 22.5% (11th)
Penalty Kill – 78.6% (20th)
Top Scorers
Buffalo
Rasmus Dahlin: 68 GP, 15 G, 35 A, 50 PTS
Jeff Skinner: 61 GP, 24 G, 21 A, 45 PTS
Alex Tuch: 62 GP, 19 G, 25 A, 44 PTS
Vancouver
J.T. Miller: 68 GP, 33 G, 54 A, 87 PTS
Elias Pettersson: 68 GP, 31 G, 48 A, 79 PTS
Quinn Hughes: 68 GP, 13 G, 64 A, 77 PTS
Starting Goalies
Buffalo – Devon Levi (9-7-2, 3.30 GAA, .891 save %)
Vancouver – Casey DeSmith (8-5-6, 2.82 GAA, .899 save %)
Line Combinations and Pairings
Buffalo
Forwards
Zemgus Girgensons-Tage Thompson-Alex Tuch
Zach Benson-Dylan Cozens-Jordan Greenway
Jeff Skinner-Peyton Krebs-JJ Peterka
Eric Robinson-Tyson Jost-Victor Olofsson
Ex. Lukas Rousek
Defense
Bowen Byram-Rasmus Dahlin
Owen Power-Henri Jokiharju
Jacob Bryson-Connor Clifton
Ex. Kale Clague
Goaltenders
Devon Levi
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Eric Comrie
Injuries
Jack Quinn (IR – lower body)
Notes
In Buffalo’s last 27 games, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has made 24 starts and has recorded 604 saves on 650 shots (.929) in that span. Luukkonen has allowed three or fewer goals in 26 of his last 27 games.
Tage Thompson has recorded six points (3+3) in his last five games. A point in tonight’s game would give Thompson a three-game point streak. A goal in tonight’s game would give Thompson his first goal streak of three or more games since he recorded at least one goal in four straight games from Dec. 13 to 19, 2022 (5+4).
Jeff Skinner has registered five points (4+1) in his last four games, including a hat trick last night in Seattle.
In his last four games, Alex Tuch has tallied four points (2+2).
Owen Power has notched three points (1+2) in his last three games.
Rasmus Dahlin has notched eight points (2+6) in his last six games against Vancouver, including multiple points in each of his last two road matchups with the Canucks (Oct. 22, 2022, 1+1; March 20, 2022, 1+1). In eight career games against the Canucks, Dahlin has posted 10 points (2+8).
In four games against the Canucks as a member of the Sabres, Alex Tuch has recorded five points (2+3). Tuch has 13 points (3+10) and a plus-14 rating in 15 career games against Vancouver.
Tage Thompson has registered five points (1+4) in his last five games against the Canucks, including one assist in each of his last two road games against Vancouver.
In his only game against the Canucks in his career (Jan. 13, 2023), UkkoPekka Luukkonen made 22 saves on 23 shots (.957).
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