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Buffalo Sabres - Vancouver Canucks Game Preview

1/6/26 - 7:00pm at KeyBank Center In Buffalo, NY

Buffalo – 21-15-4 | - 46  points – 5th place in the Atlantic Division

Vancouver  – 16-20-5 | - 37 points – 8th place in the Pacific Division

 

Special Teams

Buffalo

Power Play – 18.0% (22nd)

Penalty Kill – 85.2% (2nd)

Vancouver

Power Play – 20.3% (14th)

Penalty Kill - 73.9% (30th)

Top Scorers

Buffalo

Tage Thompson: 40 GP, 20 G, 17 A, 37 PTS

Alex Tuch: 39 GP, 12 G, 20 A, 32 PTS

Rasmus Dahlin: 36 GP, 4 G, 24 A, 28 PTS

Vancouver

Elias Pettersson: 33 GP, 10 G, 15 A, 25 PTS

Filip Hronek: 41 GP, 3 G, 22 A, 25 PTS

Conor Garland: 33 GP, 7 G, 15 A, 22 PTS

Starting Goalies(projected)

Buffalo – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (7-6-1, 2.58 GAA, .901 Sv %)

Vancouver –  Thatcher Demko (8-8-1, 2.72 GAA, .906 Sv%)

Other Sabres Stories

Sabres tying franchise record with 10 straight wins

Sabres Line Combinations and Pairings (projected)

Forwards

Peyton Krebs - Tage Thompson - Josh Doan 

Zach Benson - Ryan McLeod - Jack Quinn 

Jason Zucker - Josh Norris - Alex Tuch

Jordan Greenway - Noah Ostlund - Beck Malenstyn

Ex. Josh Dunne, Tyson Kozak

Defense

Mattias Samuelsson - Rasmus Dahlin

Bowen Byram - Owen Power 

Jacob Bryson - Zach Metsa

Goaltenders

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Colten Ellis

Injuries

Justin Danforth (lower body, Oct. 18; injured reserve)

Jiri Kulich (blood clot, Nov. 4; injured reserve) 

Michael Kessering (lower body, Dec 31) 

Alex Lyon (day-to-day, lower-body, Dec 31) 

Conor Timmins (broken leg, Dec. 20; injured reserve)

Notes

The Sabres have emerged victorious in 10 of their last 11 games.  A win tonight would mark the 10th time in franchise history that Buffalo has registered 11 or more wins in any 12-game span. The Sabres last did so from Nov. 3 to 17, 2018 (11 wins). The Sabres have earned six wins in their last seven home contests, including four straight home victories. 

The Sabres have earned at least one point in three straight games against the Canucks, including a win in each of the last two matchups between the two teams. A win tonight would mark the first winning streak of three or more games by Buffalo against Vancouver since the team won three straight against the Canucks from Oct. 19, 2021 to Oct. 22, 2022 (three games). 

If the Sabres earn at least one point tonight, it would mark the longest point streak by Buffalo against Vancouver since the team recorded a five-game point streak (4-0-1) against the Canucks from Oct. 9, 1996 to Feb. 28, 1999. 

Tage Thompson has recorded 16 points (8+8) in his last 15 games, including six points (2+4) in his last six games.  

In his last six games, Bowen Byram has registered seven points (3+4).  

Josh Norris has collected 13 points (5+8) in their last 13 games.  

Mattias Samuelsson has posted five points (1+4) in his last five games. 

Noah Ostlund has tallied three points (1+2) in his last three games.

 

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