Buffalo Sabres – Detroit Red Wings Game Preview
Buffalo Sabres – Detroit Red Wings Game Preview
12/9/24 – 7:00 pm EST at KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY
Record
Buffalo – 11-13-3 | 25 points – 6th place in the Atlantic Division
Detroit – 10-13-4 | 24 points – 7th place in the Atlantic Division
Special Teams
Buffalo
Power Play – 14.8% (30th)
Penalty Kill – 80.2% (13th)
Detroit
Power Play – 26.6% (6th)
Penalty Kill – 66.7% (31st)
Top Scorers
Buffalo
Alex Tuch: 27 GP, 8 G, 16 A, 24 PTS
Tage Thompson: 22 GP, 14 G, 7 A, 21 PTS
Rasmus Dahlin: 25 GP, 6 G, 13 A, 19 PTS
Detroit
Lucas Raymond: 27 GP, 10 G, 18 A, 28 PTS
Alex DeBrincat: 27 GP, 11 G, 11 A, 22 PTS
Dylan Larkin: 27 GP, 12 G, 9 A, 21 PTS
Starting Goalies
Buffalo – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (8-7-3, 2.82 GAA, .902 save %)
Detroit – Ville Husso (0-4-2, 3.39 GAA, .884 save %)
Line Combinations and Pairings (projected)
Buffalo
Forwards
Peyton Krebs – Tage Thompson - Alex Tuch
Zach Benson - Ryan McLeod - Jason Zucker
JJ Peterka - Jiri Kulich - Dylan Cozens
Beck Malenstyn - Tyson Kozak - Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Ex. Jack Quinn
Defense
Ryan Johnson - Bowen Byram
Owen Power - Henri Jokiharju
Jacob Bryson - Connor Clifton
Ex. Dennis Gilbert, Mattias Samuelsson
Goaltenders
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
James Reimer
Injuries
Rasmus Dahlin (day-to-day – back spasms)
Sam Lafferty (day-to-day – lower body)
Notes
The Sabres have earned at least one point in 10 of their last 11 home games against the Red Wings (6-1-4). Buffalo has scored five or more goals in four of the team’s last five games at home against Detroit. Buffalo has allowed just three powerplay goals in the team’s last 28 penalty kill opportunities (89.3 percent).
Tage Thompson has registered 15 points (10+5) in his last 13 home games. Thompson has registered 18 points (8+10) in his last 11 games against the Red Wings.
Alex Tuch has recorded 12 points (4+8) in his last 12 games.
Zach Benson has recorded four assists in his last four home contests.
In his last 10 games against Detroit, Dylan Cozens has notched 10 points (5+5).
Devon Levi was named AHL Third Star of the Night on Saturday, Dec. 7 after posting a 30-save shutout and picking up an assist in a 3-0 Amerks victory over the Charlotte Checkers.
Levi has allowed just four goals in his last four games with Rochester, including two shutouts (Nov. 29 vs. Syracuse; Dec. 7 at Charlotte). In that span, Levi has made 84 saves on 88 shots (.955). Levi is tied for third among all AHL goaltenders in shutouts this season with two.
In 33 career games with Rochester, Levi has posted a save percentage of .926 and a goals-against average of 2.32. Levi has registered a save percentage of .923 and a goals-against average of 2.57 in five playoff games with the Amerks. Levi possesses a 5-1-1 record, a save percentage of .917 and a goals-against average of 1.96 with Rochester this season.
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