Can The Sabres Pull Out Of Their Latest Nosedive?

12/3/24 – 7:00 pm EST at KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY

Record

Buffalo – 11-11-2 | 24 points – 5th place in the Atlantic Division

Colorado – 13-12-0 | 26 points – 4th place in the Central Division

Special Teams

Buffalo

Power Play – 15.3% (29th)

Penalty Kill – 80.0% (T-15th)

Colorado

Power Play – 27.2% (6th)

Penalty Kill – 71.9% (29th)

Top Scorers

Buffalo

Alex Tuch: 24 GP, 8 G, 14 A, 22 PTS

Rasmus Dahlin: 24 GP, 6 G, 13 A, 19 PTS

Tage Thompson: 19 GP, 11 G, 7 A, 18 PTS

Colorado

Nathan MacKinnon: 25 GP, 7 G, 29 A, 36 PTS

Mikko Rantanen: 25 GP, 15 G, 19 A, 34 PTS

Cale Makar: 25 GP, 8 G, 24 A, 32 PTS

Starting Goalies

Buffalo – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (8-5-2, 2.54 GAA, .909 save %)

Colorado – Alexandar Georgiev (7-7-0, 3.31 GAA, .875 save %)

Line Combinations and Pairings

Buffalo

Forwards

Jason Zucker – Tage Thompson - Alex Tuch

Zach Benson - Dylan Cozens - JJ Peterka

Jiri Kulich - Ryan McLeod - Jack Quinn

Beck Malenstyn - Peyton Krebs - Nicolas Aube-Kubel

Ex. Tyson Kozak

Defense

Rasmus Dahlin - Bowen Byram

Owen Power - Henri Jokiharju

Jacob Bryson - Connor Clifton

Ex. Dennis Gilbert

Goaltenders

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

James Reimer

Injuries

Sam Lafferty (day-to-day – lower body)

Jordan Greenway (IR - week–to-week – middle body)

Mattias Samuelsson (IR – lower body)

Notes

The last 20 games between Buffalo and Colorado have been decided in regulation. Buffalo has earned a win in two of its last three games against the Avalanche. The Sabres have earned at least one point in eight of their last twelve contests (7-4-1). Buffalo has allowed just two power-play goals in the team’s last 22 penalty kill opportunities (90.9 percent).

Tonight’s game will mark Bowen Byram’s first contest gainst Colorado since being acquired by the Sabres from the Avalanche in exchange for Casey Mittelstadt on March 6, 2024. Since being acquired by Buffalo and among all NHL defensemen, Byram ranks tied for fifth in even-strength goals (7) and tied for 12th in even-strength points (22).

In his last three starts against Colorado, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has made 86 saves on 93 shots (.925).

In his last five games against Colorado, Tage Thompson has posted nine points (5+4), including at least one point in each home game in that span.

Rasmus Dahlin has tallied at least one point in five consecutive games against Colorado and he has registered six points (2+4) in that span. Dahlin has notched 17 points (6+11) in his last 16 games. Dahlin’s 72 career goals are the third-most by a defenseman in Sabres history and he is one goal away from tying Mike Ramsey for second place on Buffalo’s all-time list for defensemen.

Dylan Cozens has tallied four points (2+2) in his last four games against the Avalanche.

Alex Tuch has registered one point in each home game he has played against Colorado as a member of the Sabres (1+2). Tuch has recorded 10 points (4+6) in his last nine games.

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