Venue & Timing
Location: Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Circle, Denver, CO
Puckdrop: 9:00 PM ET
Broadcast: ESPN+ / Altitude Sports / MSG Buffalo
Injury Report
Colorado Avalanche:
Valeri Nichushkin (lower body, doubtful).
Samuel Girard (upper body, out).
Joel Kiviranta (lower body, out).
Jacob MacDonald (hip, out).
Logan O’Connor (hip, out).
Buffalo Sabres:
Jiri Kulich (blood issue, out).
Jason Zucker (illness, out).
Zach Benson (lower body, possible return).
Justin Danforth (lower body, out).
Rasmus Dahlin (personal, out).
Key Player Matchups
Nathan MacKinnon (COL) vs. Buffalo Defense: MacKinnon leads the NHL with 32 points in 17 games, riding a 10-game point streak. Buffalo’s depleted blue line will struggle to contain him.
Cale Makar (COL) vs. Buffalo Forwards: Makar has 23 points (6G, 17A), quarterbacking Colorado’s offense from the blue line. His puck movement will test Buffalo’s transition defense.
Alex Tuch & Tage Thompson (BUF) vs. Colorado Goaltending: Tuch (14 points) and Thompson (12 points) remain Buffalo’s primary scoring threats. They must break through Scott Wedgewood, who owns 10 wins and 315 saves this season.
Team Recent Form
Buffalo Sabres:
Lost four straight, including a 6–2 defeat to Carolina.
Offense averaging 2.67 goals per game, defense allowing 3.27 goals per game.
Road record: 0–4–2, winless away from home.
Colorado Avalanche:
Four-game win streak, including a 9–1 blowout of Edmonton.
Offense averaging 4.00 goals per game, defense allowing just 2.41 goals per game.
Home record: 6–0–2, undefeated in regulation at Ball Arena.
Series History
Avalanche have won three straight meetings against Buffalo.
Last season, Colorado defeated Buffalo 5–2 at Ball Arena.
Buffalo has not won in Denver since 2018.
Betting Trends
Colorado: 3–0 in last three, covered in 4 of last 5. Games trending Under (8 of last 10).
Buffalo: 0–3 in last three, struggling to cover spreads. Games trending Over due to defensive lapses.
Head-to-Head: Avalanche have dominated recent matchups, winning by multiple goals.
Projected Score: Avalanche 4 – Sabres 1
Game Odds
Buffalo Sabres 6.5
Colorado Avalanche – 365
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, November 12, 2025
