Buffalo Sabres - NY Rangers Game Preview
4/8/26 - 7:00 pm at Madison Square Garden, in New York, NY
Buffalo – 47-23-8 | - 102 points – 2nd place in the Atlantic Division
NY Rangers – 33-36-9 | - 75 points – 8th place in the Metropolitan Division
Special Teams
Buffalo
Power Play – 20.4% (18th)
Penalty Kill – 82.0% (6th)
NY Rangers
Power Play – 24.9% (3rd)
Penalty Kill - 79.3% (15th)
Top Scorers
Buffalo
Tage Thompson: 78 GP, 38 G, 40 A, 78 PTS
Rasmus Dahlin: 74 GP, 18 G, 52 A, 70 PTS
Alex Tuch: 75 GP, 30 G, 32 A, 62 PTS
NY Rangers
Mika Zibanejad: 77 GP, 33 G, 42 A, 75 PTS
Alexis Lafrenière: 78 GP, 22 G, 31 A, 53 PTS
Vincent Trocheck: 63 GP, 16 G, 36 A, 52 PTS
Starting Goalies(projected)
Buffalo – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (20-9-3, 2.55 GAA, .908 Sv %)
NY Rangers – Igor Shesterkin (25-17-6, 2.31 GAA, .912 Sv %)
Other Sabres Stories
Sabres Line Combinations and Pairings (projected)
Forwards
Peyton Krebs - Tage Thompson - Alex Tuch
Zach Benson - Josh Norris - Josh Doan
Jason Zucker - Ryan McLeod - Jack Quinn
Tanner Pearson - Tyson Kozak - Beck Malenstyn
Ex., Josh Dunne, Jordan Greenway
Defense
Mattias Samuelsson - Rasmus Dahlin
Owen Power - Bowen Byram
Conor Timmins - Michael Kesselring
Ex. Luke Schenn, Logan Stanley, Zach Metsa
Goaltenders
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Alex Lyon
Colten Ellis
Injuries
Justin Danforth (lower body, Oct. 18; injured reserve)
Jiri Kulich (blood clot, Nov. 4; injured reserve - out for the season)
Sam Carrick (upper body, Mar. 31; injured reserve)
Noah Ostlund (upper body, Mar.25; day-to-day)
Notes
The Sabres have earned at least one point in 24 of their last 30 contests (21-6-3), including a league-best 15 wins and 32 points since the Olympic break. Since Dec. 9, the Sabres rank first among all NHL teams in wins (36) and points (76).
Tage Thompson has tallied 55 points (25+30) in 48 games since Dec. 9 and his 22 even-strength goals in that span ranks tied for fourth among all NHL skaters. Thompson’s 211 goals scored as a member of the Sabres place him tied with Alexander Mogilny for 12th place on Buffalo’s all-time list. Thompson needs seven more goals to pass Jason Pominville (217 goals with Buffalo) and gain sole possession of 10th place on Buffalo’s all-time goal-scoring list.
Rasmus Dahlin ranks first among all Sabres skaters in assists (34) and second in points (50) since Dec. 9. His 11 even-strength goals in that span rank tied for first among all NHL defensemen.Tonight’s game marks the 584th of Dahlin’s career, which will move him into a tie with Jim Shoenfeld for the sixth-most games played by a defenseman in franchise history.
Josh Norris has registered four points (1+3) in his last four games,
including a point in back-to-back contests (1+1).
In his last four games, Bowen Byram has tallied four points (1+3).
Alex Tuch has recorded a point in two consecutive games (1+1).
Tonight’s game opens Buffalo’s 13th and final back-to-back set of 2025-26. The Sabres are 7-5-0 in the first game of back-to-back sets so far this season.
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