The Buffalo Sabres face off against the Minnesota Wild tonight at the Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota, at 8:00 PM EST.

Sabres' Outlook

Buffalo is coming off a rough 5-0 shutout loss against the New Jersey Devils. In their last five games, the Sabres are 2-3-0, averaging 3.4 goals per game while allowing 3.8. Their overall record stands at 9-11-4, placing them 8th in the Atlantic Division. Buffalo has struggled on the road, with a 1-6-2 record.

Coach Lindy Ruff expressed his concerns about the three-goalie rotation, hinting at a possible change soon. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen or Colten Ellis are expected to be in net. Mattias Samuelsson is in concussion protocol after taking an elbow to the head in the game against New Jersey. Josh Norris may make his season debut, potentially centering the third line.

Projected Sabres Lineup

• Forwards:
  • Zach Benson — Tage Thompson — Alex Tuch
  • Jason Zucker — Ryan McLeod — Jack Quinn
  • Josh Doan — Noah Ostlund — Tyson Kozak
  • Josh Dunne — Peyton Krebs — Beck Malenstyn
• Defense:
  • Bowen Byram — Rasmus Dahlin
  • Owen Power — Conor Timmins
  • Jacob Bryson — Zach Metsa
• Goalies:
  • Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
  • Alex Lyon

Wild's Outlook

The Minnesota Wild are on a seven-game winning streak, including a 3-2 shootout victory over the Colorado Avalanche. During this streak, they've averaged 3.1 goals per game while allowing just 1.4. Their current record is 14-7-4, positioning them 3rd in the Central Division.

Filip Gustavsson is likely to start in goal, continuing the team's rotation. Key players like Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy are expected to lead the offensive charge.

Projected Wild Lineup

• Forwards:
  • Kirill Kaprizov — Danila Yurov — Mats Zuccarello
  • Marcus Johansson — Joel Eriksson Ek — Matt Boldy
  • Ryan Hartman — Yakov Trenin — Nico Sturm
  • Liam Ohgren — Ben Jones — Tyler Pitlick
• Defense:
  • Jonas Brodin — Brock Faber
  • Jake Middleton — Jared Spurgeon
  • Zeev Buium — Zach Bogosian
• Goalies:
  • Filip Gustavsson
  • Jesper Wallstedt

Players to Watch

• Sabres: Tage Thompson (12 goals, 9 assists) and Alex Tuch (8 goals, 13 assists). Rasmus Dahlin has 1 assist in Buffalo's only goal against the Wild in two games last season.
• Wild: Kirill Kaprizov (16 goals, 14 assists) and Matt Boldy (14 goals, 14 assists). Matt Boldy recorded an assist in each game against the Sabres last season.

Keys to the Game

For the Sabres, overcoming their road struggles and solving Minnesota's strong goaltending will be crucial. The Wild will aim to extend their winning streak, relying on their solid defense and the offensive contributions from their top players.