Matchup: Buffalo Sabres (2-0) vs. Vancouver Canucks (1-1-1)
Where: KeyBank Center
When: 7 p.m.
TV: MSG in Western New York
Radio: WGR 550
Skeptics can find several reasons to question how well the Buffalo Sabres played through their first two games.
The Montreal Canadiens started a backup goalie and were missing two key cogs on defense after an offseason in which they chose to let Phillip Danault and Jesperi Kotkaniemi walk. Then there was the matchup against last-place Arizona, which started a rookie goalie and looked destined to finish at the bottom of the NHL in coach Andrei Tourigny’s first season.
The Canucks, on the other hand, are a formidable opponent and the first true measuring stick for the Sabres. Vancouver is strong in goal with the tandem of Thatcher Demko and Jaroslav Halak, while the defense includes Quinn Hughes and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
But it’s the matchup down the middle that could be difficult for the Sabres. Buffalo’s four centermen – Dylan Cozens, Tage Thompson, Arttu Ruotsalainen and Cody Eakin – will deal with the Canucks’ impressive talent at the position, most notably Elias Pettersson and Bo Horvat.
Much was made about Sabres coach Don Granato’s willingness to allow Cozens and Casey Mittelstadt to face top centers in the final weeks of last season. However, Granato isn’t worrying about matchups yet, especially with Buffalo playing five of its first six games at home.
“Matchups for us, that’s going to be evolving, too,” said Granato. “I like the experience out of Eakin, (Zemgus) Girgensons and (Kyle) Okposo. They have tremendous sense of objective as three experienced NHL players of what the task at hand is when they look across the ice and see the opposition. I think the rest of us are evolving in that area and it’s going to take some learning in that area, unfortunately. Again, as I mentioned, we don’t have much of a choice. These guys are going into these situations. I’m not paying as much attention to matching yet as I may later on.”
Lineup: Granato’s lines and pairings at the morning skate were status quo from the Sabres’ 2-1 shootout win over Arizona. Defenseman Christian Wolanin and winger John Hayden are expected to be healthy scratches, while Casey Mittelstadt (upper body) and Henri Jokiharju (lower body) remain out because of injury:
Sabres’ lines/pairings at the morning skate:Skinner-Cozens-HinostrozaAsplund-Thompson-OlofssonBjork-Ruotsalainen-CaggiulaGirgensons-Eakin-OkposoDahlin-ButcherBryson-MillerHagg-PysykExtras: Wolanin, Hayden.
— Lance Lysowski (@LLysowski) October 19, 2021
Goalie decision: Craig Anderson is expected to start in goal for the Sabres after he made 30 saves in the season-opening win over the Canadiens. In his career against Vancouver, Anderson is 7-13-2 with an .891 save percentage.
Milestone game: Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin is expected to play in his 200th career NHL game on Tuesday. Among Sabres defensemen with at least 199 career games played for the team, Dahlin ranks 10th in goals per game (.09), fourth in assists per game (.45) and fourth in points per game (.54).
Hot start: If the Sabres win Tuesday night, they’ll start the season 3-0 for the fifth time in franchise history. The last Sabres team to win at least its first three games of the season was the 2008-09 club that won its first four contests. If Buffalo earns at least a point, it will open the season by earning at least a point in its first three games for the ninth time in team history.
Defending: The Sabres have held their opponents to one goal in each of the first two games of the season. It’s the first time the club has accomplished that feat since 2009-10. Buffalo has held each of its first three opponents to one goal or fewer just once in franchise history: 2008-09.
"The biggest thing is the way we hunt down pucks, the way we are always buzzing around," said Sabres winger Drake Caggiula. "We don't give teams a lot of time and space. Yeah, it's a short sample size, but that's what we're preaching: Take away their time and space. Keep our speed, keep reloading through the middle and transition hard. That's where your offense comes from as well.
"Guys are buying into the system. It's a fun system to play. We're always moving. We're playing at a high intensity."
In the circle: Despite having three inexperienced NHL centermen, the Sabres have fared well in the faceoff dot, winning 54.5% of their draws, including 60% by Thompson. Vancouver, meanwhile, has won a league-worst 39.7% of its faceoffs through three games.
Canucks lineup news: Winger Brock Boeser could make his season debut Tuesday night after recovering from an undisclosed injury. If Boeser is in, he'll likely skate on a line with Pettersson. Boeser totaled 23 goals and 49 points in 56 games last season.
Demko will start in goal for the Canucks, coach Travis Green announced during Vancouver's morning skate.
