Puck drop is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Honda Center, Anaheim, California
TV/Streaming: ESPN+, Disney+, Hulu (national exclusive); SN+ (Canada)
This is the first meeting of the 2026-27 season between two clubs that ended long playoff droughts last year but have struggled early this season. The Sabres are midway through a California road trip after snapping a skid with a shutout win in San Jose. The Ducks are coming off a high-scoring overtime home loss to Vancouver and sit near the bottom of the Pacific Division with a poor home record.
Injury Reports
Buffalo Sabres:
Justin Danforth (RW) – Day-to-day, upper body (missed Tuesday’s game; possible for Thursday).
Jiri Kulich (C) – Out, concussion protocol (expected earliest return around Nov. 4; did not travel).
Sam Carrick (C) – IR, upper body (expected around Oct. 31).
Alex Lyon (G) – IR, upper body (setback; no firm timeline, expected earliest late October).
Matt Grzelcyk (D) – IR, lower body (expected around Oct. 31).
Conor Timmins (D) – IR, lower body (no firm timeline).
Jack Rathbone (D) – IR non-roster, undisclosed.
Anaheim Ducks:
Troy Terry (RW) – LTIR, hip (expected mid-to-late November).
Pavel Mintyukov (D) – IR, lower body (eligible to return; possible for Thursday).
Ian Moore (D) – IR, lower body (expected early-to-mid November).
Ryan Poehling (C) – IR, lower body/knee (expected late November).
Frank Vatrano has been a recent scratch in some reports.
Morning skates will clarify Danforth, Mintyukov, and final goalie decisions.
Projected Rosters / Line Combinations
Sabres (based on recent games under coach Lindy Ruff):
Forwards (approximate recent usage):
Zach Benson – Tage Thompson – Konsta Helenius / Noah Ostlund
Josh Doan – Noah Ostlund / Josh Norris – Jack Quinn
Jason Zucker – Josh Norris / Ryan McLeod – Ryan McLeod
Peyton Krebs – Tyson Kozak – Beck Malenstyn Defense:
Rasmus Dahlin – Mattias Samuelsson
Olen Zellweger – Owen Power
Zach Metsa / Louis Crevier (or similar third pair) Goaltenders: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (likely starter after rest) / Colten Ellis (earned a 23-save shutout Tuesday).
Ducks (recent practice/game trends under coach Joel Quenneville):
Forwards:
Cutter Gauthier / Alex Killorn – Leo Carlsson – Judd Caulfield / Beckett Sennecke
Jeff Malott – Mikael Granlund – Beckett Sennecke
A.J. Greer – Tim Washe – Cutter Gauthier / Sam Colangelo
Nikita Nesterenko / Frank Vatrano – Roger McQueen – Sam Colangelo Defense:
Jackson LaCombe – Noah Warren
Tyson Hinds – Tristan Luneau
Travis Mitchell / Drew Helleson – Nick Jensen (Mintyukov if available) Goaltenders: Lukas Dostal (primary) / Ville Husso.
Key Player vs. Player Matchups
Tage Thompson / Jack Quinn (BUF) vs. Jackson LaCombe / Ducks defense: Thompson remains a primary offensive driver; Quinn has been hot recently with multi-point production. LaCombe logs heavy minutes and drives play from the back end for Anaheim.
Leo Carlsson / Beckett Sennecke / Cutter Gauthier (ANA) vs. Dahlin-Power pairs: Carlsson leads the Ducks in points; Sennecke and Gauthier provide secondary scoring and speed. Buffalo’s blue line (Dahlin, Power, Zellweger) must contain the young core.
Special teams contrast: Ducks power play (~23.7%, strong) vs. Sabres penalty kill (struggling near 71%). Sabres power play is league-worst (~9.8%), a major liability.
Goaltending: Luukkonen has struggled early (.86 range in many starts); Ellis provided a spark. Dostal faces pressure after recent high-event games. Both teams allow goals at a high rate (Sabres ~3.33 GA/GP, Ducks ~3.58).
Recent Team Forms
Sabres (Last 10: ~4-3-3, current W1): Shut out the Sharks 2-0 on Tuesday (Ellis strong; Zellweger and Benson scored) after OT losses and a regulation defeat. Offense is middle-to-bottom (~2.75 GF/GP); defense and special teams have been liabilities. Road record is 2-1-3.
ucks (Last 10: ~3-6-1, current O1): Lost 6-5 in OT to Vancouver at home (Greer scored twice) after a win in Philadelphia. They generate offense (~3.08 GF/GP) but leak goals badly, especially at home (1-3-1). High penalty totals have hurt.
Series History
The all-time regular-season series is relatively even, with the Sabres holding a slight edge (approximately 26-20-3 or similar across historical counts). Recent meetings have been competitive and often high-scoring. Last season’s results were split (each won one). No prior meetings this season. Buffalo has generally performed well in Anaheim historically in some stretches.
Betting Trends
Trends point to a higher-scoring game given both teams’ defensive rankings and recent results (Ducks’ OT loss was 11 goals; Sabres have mixed results but allow volume). Sabres are slight favorites despite road status, reflecting Anaheim’s home struggles. Special-teams disparity favors the Ducks on the power play but exposes Buffalo’s PK.
Game Odds
Buffalo Sabres – 140
Anaheim Ducks 6.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, October 28, 2026
