GDT: Buffalo Sabres @ Washington Capitals 12/14/24 --MSG, WGR--7 PM Puck Drop

[bob_sauve28]

Do you really want to hurt me? 

Go Sabres!! 

 

The Buffalo Sabres begin a three-game road trip Saturday night versus the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena.

After going winless on their five-game homestand and in eight-straight games overall (0-5-3), the Sabres hope this trip can help them right the ship and climb back in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

“I think they’re all feeling it,” coach Lindy Ruff said. “They’re all feeling the effects of losing and losing at home. My job is to try to keep the spirit in the right place.”

“Change of scenery is always great,” said Sabres forward – and former Capital – Beck Malenstyn. “Going in against a good team in a hard building is a great challenge. I think it makes it really easy to get up to the game and really dial in everyone’s mental focus, going in knowing it’s going to be a great challenge.”

Here’s what you need to know before Saturday’s 7 p.m. puck drop.

 

Lineup notes

Captain Rasmus Dahlin (back spasms) is expected to miss a fifth-straight game. Read the latest on the defenseman's recovery progress in Friday’s practice report.

Forward Jordan Greenway, still dealing with soreness from his recent middle-body injury, also missed Friday’s practice but has not been ruled out for Saturday’s game.

Sam Lafferty (lower body) returned to practice Friday and could re-enter the lineup at some point this weekend, Ruff said. Lafferty last played Nov. 29 versus Vancouver.

Stay tuned during the 11:30 a.m. morning skate for potential updates on Dahlin, Greenway and Lafferty.

Here are the lines from Friday’s practice:

Ooops, no practice lines, sorry 

 

1. A Powerful third period

Buffalo’s late comeback bid fell short in Wednesday’s 3-2 loss to the Rangers, but not for a lack of scoring opportunities.

The Sabres scored twice in the period – Owen Power at 5-on-5, Tage Thompson at 6-on-5 in the final minute. According to Natural Stat Trick, Buffalo held a 12-2 advantage in third-period scoring chances and 7-2 in high-danger scoring chances.

“With the number of opportunities in the third period, you should really score three or four goals,” Ruff said. “We have to start finishing more. That is, the inside plays that we were making, getting around the net and just hitting the net more on key opportunities. We're still a team that misses the net too much.”

Power, benched for much of the opening period after his failed clear led to New York’s first goal, returned to the ice and led the Sabres’ late attack.

Buffalo owned a 62.5-percent share of shot attempts with Power on the ice Wednesday; in that regard, it was the 22-year-old’s most effective game since Nov. 23 at San Jose (65.7 percent).

“I thought Owen, his second half of the game was fantastic,” Ruff said.

“Just his puck play – his puck play and his reads to get available. He took one to the net that led to chaos where he had a couple opportunities. Some of his offensive physicality, like boxing people out and taking the puck up high for us, were really good.”

On Power’s goal, his fourth of the season and first since Nov. 1, he received a short Peyton Krebs pass at the blue line, skated into the slot and fired a shot off the post and in behind Igor Shesterkin.

Continued offensive involvement from Power and more on-target shots from the entire team will be key for Buffalo to not only drive play more consistently, but also convert those prime scoring chances into goals.

Edited December 14 by bob_sauve28

[bob_sauve28]

 

2. Welcome back, Beck

For the first time, Malenstyn will face the team that drafted him in the fifth round in 2015.

The first-year Sabre played 105 games for Washington from 2019 to 2024, including 81 – with a team-leading 241 hits – last season.

“From being drafted there, working my way up from the American League, nothing but great things to say about the entire organization,” Malenstyn said. “They treated me extremely well – players, staff, management … it was a great place to be, and I have a lot of fond memories from there and [AHL] Hershey, so I’m excited to be back.”

Saturday also marks a return for Malenstyn’s linemate Nicolas Aube-Kubel, who played the last two seasons in Washington.

The two wingers, standouts on Buffalo’s fourth line of late, logged 583 minutes of ice time together with the Capitals from 2022-24.

3. Scouting the Capitals

Washington remains without Alex Ovechkin, who fractured his left fibula on Nov. 18 amidst a scorching-hot stretch.

Still, the Capitals enter Saturday with a three-game winning streak and boast the Eastern Conference’s best record (20-6-2) thanks to a deep roster featuring several impactful offseason additions – Jacob Chychrun, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Andrew Mangiapane and Logan Thompson, among others.

They’ve scored 3.96 goals per game, tied with Tampa Bay for the NHL lead. And they’ve allowed 2.68 per game, seventh best in the NHL, aided by a fourth-ranked penalty kill (83.5%).

Forward Dylan Strome leads Washington with 27 assists and 36 points. Connor McMichael, with 15 goals and 26 points, is already approaching his career highs of 18 and 33. Tom Wilson has complemented his signature physicality with 11 goals and 11 assists.

Chychrun, never hesitant to unleash his heavy shot, ranks third among NHL defensemen with eight goals. He and veteran John Carlson (20 points) generate steady offense from the point and run Washington’s two power-play units.

“It’s going to be a great challenge for us going in there to take on a team that’s scoring from all four lines,” Malenstyn said. “Really gives us a great chance to put our best foot forward and understand that responsibility every time we step over the boards.”

With goalie Charlie Lindgren regressing after carrying Washington to the playoffs last season, Thompson has emerged as the Capitals’ No. 1 netminder; acquired from Vegas this summer, Thompson owns an 11-1-2 record and .913 save percentage.

Buffalo went 2-1 versus the Capitals in their 2023-24 season series, including outscoring Washington a combined 10-4 in two April wins. Buffalo is 4-0-2 in their matchups over the last two seasons.

Game notes

Jason Zucker faced Washington twice last season with the Coyotes, tallying two goals and two assists.

Krebs has recorded three assists in his last two games.

In six road starts this season, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has gone 4-1-1 with a 2.15 goals-against average and .926 save percentage.

[bob_sauve28]

https://www.nhl.com/sabres/news/buffalo-sabres-washington-capitals-how-to-watch-lineup-preview

[Dreams Burn Down]

[bob_sauve28]

https://www.nhl.com/sabres/news/buffalo-sabres-practice-updates-rasmus-dahlin-jordan-greenway

The Buffalo Sabres remained without Rasmus Dahlin during Friday’s practice at KeyBank Center. The defenseman, continuing to recover from back spasms, has missed four games after leaving the Dec. 3 loss versus Colorado.

Though absent from the team session, Dahlin skated before practice and continues to progress toward a return to the lineup, coach Lindy Ruff said.

“The good part is he’s skating and he’s getting some conditioning in,” Ruff said. “The hard part is you’d like get into practice and battles, but we’re not quite there yet.”

And while Buffalo’s captain has been unavailable to help the team on the ice, he’s continued to lead the Sabres as they seek to snap their eight-game winless stretch.

“He’s 100 percent invested in what’s going on,” Ruff said. “It’s not like he’s injured and sitting on the outside. So I think it’s killing him like it’s killing everyone else.”

[Slack_in_MA]

LFG

[...]

What time is the game?

[bob_sauve28]

1 minute ago, ... said:

What time is the game?

Damn it! I knew I was forgetting something 🤷‍♀️

[Indabuff]

[sabremike]

As a matchup this is the equivalent of a team with no pass defense whatsoever and the worst QB in the league playing Josh Allen and the Bills.

(Come to think of it that scenario sounds like playing the Bengals if Joe Burrow was out with an injury)

[steveoath]

This is the definition of must win. For purely personal reasons! The new nursery manager in my school is a die hard caps fan. She has been very mean about the sabres this week! 
 

17-0 sabres. That would do. 

Edited December 14 by steveoath
Speelooong

[Broken Ankles]

2 hours ago, Indabuff said:

It never gets old. 

[Porous Five Hole]

Greenway a game time decision.  UPL in the starter’s net for the morning skate (per Lance via Bluesky). 

[Indabuff]

1 hour ago, Broken Ankles said:

It never gets old. 

 

[PerreaultForever]

Caps are way better than the Sabres right now so naturally, this one will be a Sabres win. 

[Sidc3000]

My son is going to the game with some of his friends. I would rather stay home and watch the disaster than have to deal with the craziness of Chinatown and the metro. 
 

 

[mjd1001]

47 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:

Greenway a game time decision.  UPL in the starter’s net for the morning skate (per Lance via Bluesky). 

If Greenway is not 100% give him another game or two off.

[ASlugAbove]

Literally got offered free tix down here and declined them lol 

1 hour ago, Sidc3000 said:

My son is going to the game with some of his friends. I would rather stay home and watch the disaster than have to deal with the craziness of Chinatown and the metro. 
 

 

Same

[Stads]

Is anyone still in the "this is the night they turn it around and start a run" crowd? I'd like any optimistic opinion because I am fully checked out.

[Wyldnwoody44]

12 minutes ago, Stads said:

Is anyone still in the "this is the night they turn it around and start a run" crowd? I'd like any optimistic opinion because I am fully checked out.

[bunomatic]

The only run started tonight will resemble the run by Forest Slump.

[sabresouth]

let's go sabres....

yeah🥱

 

 

[Sidc3000]

36 minutes ago, Stads said:

Is anyone still in the "this is the night they turn it around and start a run" crowd? I'd like any optimistic opinion because I am fully checked out.

[SwampD]

45 minutes ago, Stads said:

Is anyone still in the "this is the night they turn it around and start a run" crowd? I'd like any optimistic opinion because I am fully checked out.

I don’t know about a run, but I’m hoping that Beck Malenstyn and NAK want to stick it to their old team and are instrumental in the Sabres winning.

[inkman]

1 hour ago, Stads said:

Is anyone still in the "this is the night they turn it around and start a run" crowd? I'd like any optimistic opinion because I am fully checked out.

I’m not sure I’ve ever felt this disengaged from the team.  There are no easy fixes.  Firing everyone and starting anew isn’t going to get traction for years.  
 

Trading some of their core (they should) like Power and Cozens, unless perfectly executed won’t result in a net positive.  
 

I have no hope.  No happiness or excitement associated with the team.