Expected Lines
Skinner-Reinhart-Olofsson
Thompson-Mittelstadt-Asplund
Ruotsalainen-Cozens-Bkjork
Cagguila-Sheahan-Cagguila
Ristolainen-Samuelsson
Dahlin-Jokiharju
Bryson-Borgen
Luukkonen
Rangers
Lafreiniere-Zibanejad-Buchnevich
Panarin-Strome-Blackwell
Kreider-Chytil-Kakko
Howden-Rooney-Kravstov
Hajek-Fox
Miller-Smith
Lindgren-Jones
Shesterkin
Luukkonen’s 2nd Start
UPL minds the net again for the Sabres. After winning his debut against Boston allowing 4 goals on 40 shots Lukkonen will get another chance to in the net for Buffalo. After Tokarski struggled there was little doubt that the rookie would be in net for Buffalo.
Lukkonen had a solid 1st game and if not for two deflections by Ristolainen his debut would have been even better than it was before.
Finale against the Rangers
Buffalo will face New York for the eighth and final time this season. Kakko has been scoring against Buffalo all season long (5 of 9 have come at the Sabres expense) and the Sabres will need to slow and Zibanejad down if they want to have any success in the final match of the season series finale.
Other news and notes
- Borgen comes back into the lineup after sitting out last game and Colin Miller will be scratched
- Ullmark doesn’t appear to be coming back this season due to his injury and Hutton suffered a setback so it appears it’ll be Tokarski and UPL the rest of the way
- The Sabres have 7 games left and with their recent stretch have a real chance to climb out of last place if they can get a few more wins starting tonight against the Rangers.
- Victor Olofsson has 6 points in 7 games against the Rangers.
- Rasmus Dahlin has 11 points in his last 13 games.