Line Combinations: Red Wings at Sabres

On a relatively quiet Friday night in the NHL, one matchup carries major weight in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Detroit Red Wings travel to Buffalo to face the division-leading Sabres in a game with significant postseason implications.

Detroit enters the contest trailing the Ottawa Senators by two points and the New York Islanders by three points for the second wild card spot in the East. This makes Friday’s game critical if the Red Wings hope to remain in the playoff hunt.

While Kevin McGonigle is dazzling on the diamond, the Red Wings have given their fans little to cheer about with a brutal 6-9-3 record over their last 18 games. That slump has caused their playoff chances to drop sharply and puts added pressure on their final 11 games of the season.

This will be the third and final meeting between Detroit and Buffalo, with the Sabres winning both previous matchups. Since their last meeting in mid-November, Buffalo has only improved. Over their past 15 games, the Sabres have gone 12-1-2, the best record in the league during that span. They have combined explosive offense with one of the league’s top defensive performances, pushing them to first place in the Atlantic Division and establishing them as a serious Stanley Cup contender.

Buffalo will face a Detroit team that is desperate for a turnaround as the Red Wings are overdue for a momentum shift and will look to finally break through against the Sabres. Much will depend on their returning players, who have started to make an impact.

Andrew Copp has four points in his last five games, while captain Dylan Larkin scored in his return and will aim to lead by example again. Detroit is also hoping for more production from David Perron, who has yet to register a point in five games since rejoining the team at the trade deadline.

Buffalo’s recent dominance has been fueled by the standout play of Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin. Both performed well internationally at the Olympics and have carried that momentum back to the NHL. Dahlin has been especially impressive, recording 29 points in his last 22 games, while Thompson has maintained a point-per-game pace over his last 19 contests.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Finnie – Larkin – Raymond

DeBrincat – Compher – Kane

Kasper – Copp – Appleton

Perron - Dries - van Riemsdyk

Edvinsson – Seider

Chiarot – Faulk

Johansson - Benard-Docker

Gibson

Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.