Sabres Weekly Preview: 12/04/23-12/10/23

An abysmal week last week has put the Sabres in a challenging spot. They currently sit at 14th in the Eastern Conference and there are not many positives to build off of. They’ve been hit with the injury bug, while not being able to put the puck in the back of the net on a consistent basis. They have three games this week to try to make up some ground so let’s take a look at their matchups.

Season Point Leaders Update – 25 Games

1. Casey Mittelstadt – 21 points (5 goals, 16 assists)
2. Rasmus Dahlin – 20 points (5 points, 15 assists)
3. JJ Peterka – 18 points (10 goals, 8 assists)
4. Jeff Skinner – 18 points (10 goals, 8 assists)

Injury Updates

1. Alex Tuch – Undisclosed (day-to-day)
2. Jordan Greenway – Upper body (day-to-day)
3. Zemgus Girgensons – Lower body, IR (week-to-week)
4. Tage Thompson – Upper body, IR (out indefinitely)
5. Jack Quinn – Achilles, IR-NR (out indefinitely)

Red Wings vs Sabres (12/5)

Goaltenders: Alex Lyon (confirmed) vs. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (expected)

The Sabres start their week at home as they host the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings sit at 13-7-3 on the season, good enough for fourth in the Eastern Conference. They’re another up-and-coming team that is looking to find its way back to the playoffs. They have one of the best goal differentials in the league at +18 while being 8-3-2 at home. One positive for Buffalo is that Detroit is just 5-4-1 on the road.

They’re led by Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Larkin. Both players are averaging over a point per game so the Sabres will be sure to keep a close eye on them when they’re on the ice. Their top goaltender is Ville Husso, but we’re expected to see Alex Lyon. Lyon is 3-1-0 on the season with a .958 save percentage and a 1.26 goals against average. The Sabres will look to get back in the win column and end this three-game losing streak.

Sabres at Bruins (12/7)

Goaltenders: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (expected) vs. Linus Ullmark (expected)

The second matchup for Buffalo is a big challenge. They’ll be going into Boston to play the Bruins, who are tied for first in the NHL with 37 points by way of a 17-4-3 record. Their +22-goal differential is good for fourth in the league. Buffalo being on the road for this game doesn’t help as the Bruins are 9-1-1 at home this season. They’ve proven they can win, and the Sabres will have to bring their A-game.

David Pastrňák is the leader in points for Boston as he has an astounding 36 points in 24 games – tied for second in the NHL. Sabres fans are too familiar with Brad Marchand, who can frustrate a team in a multitude of ways. They’ll have either Linus Ullmark or Jeremy Swayman in net, and it won’t make a significant difference either way. Ullmark is 8-3-1 with a .918 save percentage and a 2.65 goals against average while Swayman’s numbers are even better with a .932 save percentage and 2.08 goals against average for a 9-1-2 record. It’s a big challenge but the Sabres have shown they can beat this Boston team before.

Canadiens vs Sabres (12/9)

Goaltenders: Sam Montembeault (expected) vs. Ukko-Pekka Lukkonen (expected)

The third and final game for the Sabres this week is at home against the Montreal Canadiens. Currently one point above Buffalo, Montreal has a 10-11-3 record with a 5-4-2 record on the road. The 13th place Canadiens have a -19-goal differential compared to Buffalo’s -14. It’s the only team they play this week with a worse goal differential than them. Yet, they are ahead in the standings.

They’re led by forwards Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, who have been two of the few bright spots for this Canadiens team. Suzuki leads their team with 20 points in 24 games, while Caufield is just one point behind him at 19. In net, Jake Allen has started ten games for a 3-5-2 record on a .898 save percentage and a 3.74 goals against average. However, the Sabres are expected to go against Sam Montembeault. He’s started nine games with a .910 save percentage and a 2.73 goals against average. Out of all three games this week, this is the one Buffalo NEEDS to win.

Summary

Four points. That’s how far out the Sabres are from a wild card position. The Eastern Conference is packed tight, but we could start to see teams pull away. It’s December now. The Sabres have to string points together and keep their season alive, or it will be another playoff-less season before we know it. It starts with three massive games this week.