Can The Sabres Put An End Their Long Losing Skid?

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)

Related: Adams Reflects On The Difficulties Of Bringing Players To Buffalo

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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