The Buffalo Sabres (37-32-7) head to face the Detroit Red Wings (35-33-9) at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday. Buffalo is coming off a 2-1 loss against the Panthers on Tuesday. The Sabres committed four penalties in the game, conceding one power play goal.
Dylan Cozens was the only player to find the net for the Sabres. Devon Levi saved an impressive 34 of 36 shots (.944%) in the loss. Detroit beat the Canadiens 5-0 on Tuesday. David Perron scored twice to lead the Red Wings. Ville Husso had a dominant performance with 24 saves to record his fourth shutout of the season, fourth-most in the NHL.
HEAD TO HEAD
The Sabres have won all three games between the teams this season, including a 6-3 victory in their most recent meeting in December, their third straight win against Detroit. Kyle Okposo led Buffalo with three goals. Dominik Kubalik led Detroit with two goals. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen got the win, saving 28 of 31 shots (.903%).
FACING OFF
Buffalo is averaging 3.55 goals per game for the season, third in the NHL, and they are taking on a Red Wings team that is allowing 3.23 goals a game (19th).
Meanwhile, Detroit has found the net 2.96 times a game on average, 22nd in the league, and the Sabres are allowing opponents to score 3.62 goals per game (26th).
Detroit averages fewer shots per game (28.4) than most teams in the league, ranking 28th, though the team’s 10.6% shooting percentage is 12th. With an average of 32.3 attempts, Buffalo ranks 11th. The Sabres’ 23.72% power play percentage ranks eighth in the league, while the Red Wings are 15th with a conversion rate of 21.32%.
While efficient on the power play, Buffalo has been less impressive at penalty killing, as the away team possesses the league’s fourth-lowest PK% at 73.24%. Detroit’s 79.24% ranks 16th in the NHL.
TOP PERFORMERS:
With 90 points this season, Tage Thompson is the top skater for the Sabres. He is among the league leaders with 44 goals (6th) and has added 46 assists. In the net, Craig Anderson (10-11-2) is Buffalo’s top goaltender by goals against average.
He has a 3.07 GAA and a .908% save percentage. Luukkonen (17-11-4) leads the Sabres in games played in goal. He has a GAA of 3.61 and a save percentage of .891%.
Dylan Larkin leads the Red Wings in scoring with 76 points. He has 31 goals and 45 assists. Husso (26-19-6) is the top goalie for Detroit with a goals against average of 2.96. He has a save percentage of .901%.
HOME AND AWAY
Buffalo is 22-12-3 on the road this season. Detroit is 19-15-4 at home this season.
SportsTips’ NHL Pick:
Buffalo Sabres (-110)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
