Can The Sabres Keep Rolling Against New Jersey?

Buffalo Sabres – New Jersey Devils Game Preview

2/2/25 – 1:00 pm EST at KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY

Record

Buffalo – 20-26-5 | 45 points – 8th place in the Atlantic Division

New Jersey – 29-18-6 | 64 points – 3rd place in the Metropolitan Division

Special Teams

Buffalo

Power Play – 16.8% (27th)

Penalty Kill – 77.8% (T-20th)

New Jersey

Power Play – 28.9% (2nd)

Penalty Kill – 82.6% (5th)

Top Scorers

Buffalo

Tage Thompson: 46 GP, 25 G, 20 A, 45 PTS

JJ Peterka: 49 GP, 14 G, 26 A, 40 PTS

Rasmus Dahlin: 43 GP, 6 G, 31 A, 37 PTS

New Jersey

Jack Hughes: 53 GP, 20 G, 40 A, 60 PTS

Jesper Bratt: 53 GP, 16 G, 42 A, 58 PTS

Nico Hischier: 51 GP, 24 G, 19 A, 43 PTS

Starting Goalies

Buffalo – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (17-15-4, 2.97 GAA, .898 save %)

New Jersey – Jake Allen (8-9-1, 2.49 GAA, .908 save %)

Line Combinations and Pairings

Buffalo

Forwards

JJ Peterka – Jiri Kulich – Tage Thompson

Jason Zucker – Dylan Cozens – Alex Tuch

Zach Benson – Ryan McLeod – Jack Quinn

Beck Malenstyn – Peyton Krebs – Sam Lafferty

Defense

Rasmus Dahlin – Bowen Byram

Mattias Samuelsson – Owen Power

Jacob Bryson – Henri Jokiharju

Ex.: Dennis Gilbert, Connor Clifton

Goaltenders

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

James Reimer

Injuries

Jordan Greenway (IR – middle body)

Notes

Rasmus Dahlin has recorded 18 assists in his last 17 games and an assist in today’s game would give him a three-game assist streak. Today, Dahlin is expected to break a tie with Doug Bodger and gain sole possession of the 12th-most games played by a Sabres defenseman in franchise history (480).

Tage Thompson has posted 20 points (9+11) in his last 17 games, including seven points (5+2) in his last five. Thompson has registered at least one point in back-to-back games and he would notch his sixth point streak of three or more games with a point in today’s game.

JJ Peterka has tallied eight points (4+4) in his last five games. Peterka would match the longest assist streak of his career with an assist in today’s game.

Jiri Kulich has registered seven points (4+3) in his last five games and he is riding a three-game point streak (3+1). A point in today’s game would make Kulich (20 years, 294 days) the youngest Sabres forward to record a point streak of four or more games since JJ Peterka from Oct. 13 to 20, 2022 (four games; 2+2).

In his last 16 games, Jason Zucker has recorded 16 points (9+7), including four points (2+2) in his last four games.

Ryan McLeod has collected five points (4+1) in his last five games. A point in today’s game would give McLeod his second point streak of three or more games this season (Oct. 12 to 22; 4+1; five games).

Owen Power has recorded one assist in three consecutive games and he would match the longest assist streak of his career (Oct. 19 to 28, 2024; 0+6; four games) with an assist in today’s game.

Dylan Cozens has posted three assists in his last three games.

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