Sabres and Hurricanes Prepare for Saturday Night Clash

RALEIGH, N.C. – The Buffalo Sabres are set to face off against the Carolina Hurricanes tonight at the Lenovo Center at 7:00 PM EST. Both teams are dealing with a number of injuries and roster adjustments, making for an unpredictable matchup.

The Hurricanes enter the game with a 9-4-0 record, placing them among the top teams in the Metropolitan Division. Meanwhile, the Sabres are looking to improve upon their 5-5-4 record.

Sabres Projected Lineup

The Sabres will be without key defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, who has taken a leave of absence to be with his fiancée in Sweden as she recovers from a heart transplant.

The projected lineup for the Sabres is as follows:

• Forwards:
  • Isak Rosen – Noah Ostlund – Tage Thompson
  • Josh Doan – Ryan McLeod – Alex Tuch
  • Jordan Greenway – Tyson Kozak – Jack Quinn
  • Josh Dunne – Peyton Krebs – Beck Malenstyn
• Defense:
  • Owen Power – Conor Timmins
  • Bowen Byram – Michael Kesselring
  • Mattias Samuelsson – Jacob Bryson
• Goalies:
  • Alex Lyon
  • Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Defenseman Zac Jones was recalled from the Rochester Americans. If Bryson plays, it will be his first game since suffering a concussion on October 18. Jason Zucker and Jiri Kulich are out with illnesses, while Zach Benson, Justin Danforth, and Josh Norris are injured.

Hurricanes Projected Lineup

The Hurricanes are also dealing with injuries on the blue line, with Jalen Chatfield out indefinitely with an upper-body injury sustained in their previous game.

The projected lineup for the Hurricanes is as follows:

• Forwards:
  • Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Taylor Hall
  • Nikolaj Ehlers – Logan Stankoven – Jackson Blake
  • Jordan Martinook – Jordan Staal – Seth Jarvis
  • William Carrier – Jesperi Kotkaniemi – Eric Robinson
• Defense:
  • Alexander Nikishin – Sean Walker
  • K'Andre Miller – Joel Nystrom
  • Mike Reilly – Charles-Alexis Legault
• Goalies:
  • Pyotr Kochetkov
  • Frederik Andersen

Carrier and Robinson are expected to return after missing six games each. Gostisbehere, is out with a lower body injury. To make room for returning players, Bradly Nadeau was assigned to the Chicago Wolves.

Storylines to Watch

• Goaltending Matchup: Alex Lyon is expected to start for the Sabres, while Pyotr Kochetkov is likely to get the nod for the Hurricanes.
• Special Teams: The Sabres boast the league's best penalty kill percentage at 91.3%. The Hurricanes, however, rank last in power play percentage at 10.81%.
• Home Ice Advantage: The Hurricanes have won their last 11 home games against the Sabres.
• Puck Line: The Hurricanes are favored to win by at least two goals, with the puck line set at -1.5.

With both teams battling injuries and looking to gain ground in the standings, tonight's game promises to be a competitive contest.