Game 76 Preview: Buffalo Sabres @ Ottawa Senators

Home Sweet Home

The Sens are back home after the Western Canada swing, and play host to the Buffalo Sabres.

No lineup changes after Saturday’s win in Edmonton. Zack Smith skated today and might be back for Thursday, but no word on Cody Ceci. Here are today’s lineups from the morning skate:

Tkachuk - Pageau - Veronneau
Duclair - Tierney - Boedker
Balcers - White - Ryan
Gibbons - Lindberg - Paajarvi

Chabot - DeMelo
Wolanin - Harpur
Borowiecki - Jaros

Anderson (starter)
Nilsson

Game Notes

  • The Sabres are ice cold with a record of 1-8-1 in their last 10 games. It’s been over a month since they’ve managed points in consecutive games, and they haven’t had back-to-back wins since early December.
  • Thanks to a mini-streak, the Kings are now six points up on Ottawa for 30th. With only seven games left that’s a big hill to climb.
  • Marc Crawford has a goal for Brady Tkachuk - lead the league’s rookies in shots. He’s got a 14 shot lead on Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov for that right now, in 11 fewer games played.
  • It’s not just shots on net. Tkachuk also leads the rookies in unblocked shots, scoring chances and high danger chances, and is second in total shot attempts to Dallas’ Miro Heiskanen. This isn’t just overall, but also true at 5 on 5.
  • How much better did the team look on Saturday with Thomas Chabot back in the lineup?
  • Not related to tonight’s game, but best wishes to former Senator Nick Foligno and his family. The Folignos’ 22 month old son was hospitalized two weeks ago for severe pneumonia. Sounds like Hudson is improving, but remains in intensive care./

Here are some stats from NHL.com and Natural Stat Trick:

Team Stats

OttawaSenatorsBuffaloSabres
CategoryValueRankValueRank
Goals/GP2.9618th2.6924th
Goals Against/GP3.6931st3.2523rd
Shots/GP29.924th32.610th
Shots Against/GP36.031st33.124th
Powerplay %20.315th18.218th
Penalty Kill %79.123rd80.716th
Corsi (5v5, Score & Venue Adjusted)44.3231st49.0218th
Fenwick (5v5, SVA)44.9331st49.0319th

Player Stats

OttawaSenatorsBuffaloSabres
--Player#Player#
GoalsBrady Tkachuk19Jeff Skinner37
AssistsChris Tierney / Thomas Chabot37Jack Eichel49
PointsThomas Chabot 50Jack Eichel75
ShotsBrady Tkachuk187Jack Eichel278
TOI/GPThomas Chabot 24:07Rasmus Ristolainen24:42

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