Game day: Jets at Sabres

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This article was published 07/01/2017 (3194 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ABOUT THE SABRES

The Sabres are coming off a hard-fought battle with the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday in a game that needed more than three periods to decide a winner. Despite Buffalo having three separate leads, they eventually lost, 4-3, with Patrick Kane scoring 56 seconds into the extra period to clinch the win for Chicago. Buffalo still earned a point in the loss and now sit at 14-15-9 on the year.

Buffalo averages the third fewest goals per game (2.21) in the NHL, but can hurt you on the power play. Of the Sabres’ 84 goals on the year, 28 – or exactly one third – have come on the man advantage. Buffalo is ranked fifth in the league on the power play with a 22.6 per cent success rate, behind only the New York Rangers, Anaheim Ducks, Tampa Bay Lightning and Columbus Blue Jackets.

It should be a sturdy test for the Jets penalty kill units, a group that ranks near the bottom of the league, at 26th, and has allowed five power play goals against in the last four games.

Kyle Okposo, who signed a seven-year, US$42-million deal with the Sabres as a free agent, leads Buffalo with 12 goals and 15 assists for 27 points in 36 games. Robin Lehner has been steady in net for Buffalo this year. Though he only has eight wins in 26 starts (8-12-5), he boasts a 2.51 goals-against average and .921 save percentage.

 

BUFFALO SABRES

31 Anders Nilsson

40 Robin Lehner

4 Josh Gorges, D

6 Cody Franson, D

9 Evander Kane, RW

12 Brian Gionta, RW

15 Jack Eichel, C

21 Kyle Okposo, RW

22 Johan Larsson, C

23 Sam Reinhart, C

26 Matt Moulson, LW

27 Derek Grant, C

28 Zemgus Girgensons, C

29 Jake McCabe, D

38 Taylor Fedun, D

41 Justin Falk, D

44 Nicolas Deslauriers, LW

47 Zach Bogosian, D

48 William Carrier, LW

55 Rasmus Ristolainen

56 Justin Bailey

77 Dmitry Kulikov

82 Marcus Foligno

Head coach: Dan Bylsma

Assistant coaches: Terry Murray, Bob Woods, Tom Ward

Goaltending coach: Andrew Allen

 

WINNIPEG JETS

34 Michael Hutchinson G

37 Connor Hellebuyck G

4 Paul Postma D

5 Mark Stuart D

7 Ben Chiarot D

8 Jacob Trouba D

12 Drew Stafford RW

17 Adam Lowry C

18 Bryan Little C

19 Nic Petan LW

22 Chris Thorburn RW

26 Blake Wheeler RW “C”

27 Nikolaj Ehlers RW

29 Patrik Laine RW

33 Dustin Byfuglien D “A”

39 Toby Enstrom D

40 Joel Armia RW

44 Josh Morrissey D

55 Mark Scheifele C “A”

56 Marko Dano C

85 Mathieu Perreault C

Head coach: Paul Maurice

Assistant Coaches: Charlie Huddy, Jamie Kompon, Todd Woodcroft

Goaltending coach: Wade Flaherty

— Jeff Hamilton