BUFFALO SABRES NOTES:
LAST GAME
Thursday, Jan. 12
Winnipeg 4 at Buffalo 2
Goals: Olofsson, Jost
Goalie: Luukkonen (23 saves/26 shots; 1 ENG)
PP: 0/5; PK: 2/2; Shots: Buffalo 41 – Winnipeg 27
CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 99)
Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
N/A
TRANSACTIONS IN PAST SEVEN DAYS
1/9: Activated G Eric Comrie off IR; Loaned G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to Rochester (AHL)
1/10: Activated D Henri Jokiharju off IR; Placed D Casey Fitzgerald on waivers
1/11: Recalled G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen from Rochester (AHL); Loaned F Jack Quinn to Rochester
1/13: Recalled F Jack Quinn from Rochester (AHL); Loaned F Peyton Krebs to Rochester
UPCOMING GAMES
Monday, Jan. 16: Florida at Buffalo, 1 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 17: Buffalo at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 19: NY Islanders at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 21: Anaheim at Buffalo, 12:30 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 23: Buffalo at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.
TONIGHT’S GAME
SABRES AT PREDATORS
• This is the first of two meetings between the Sabres and Predators this season.
• Last meeting: Buffalo defeated Nashville 4-3 in Buffalo on April 1, 2022.
• Next meeting: Tuesday, March 21 in Buffalo.
• This is the 32nd game all-time between Buffalo and Nashville; Buffalo has a 13-14-4 series record.
• The Sabres are 10-6-0 on the road against the Predators all-time.
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
• Buffalo has won three of its last four matchups with Nashville.
• The Sabres have scored four or more goals in each of their last six victories over the Predators.
• Alex Tuch has notched 34 points (13+21) in his last 25 games, including 17 points (7+10) in his last 12 games.
• Tage Thompson has recorded six points (4+2) in his last five games.
• Dylan Cozens has tallied 31 points (9+22) in his last 27 games and owns eight points (2+6) in his last eight games.
• Cozens is one goal away from surpassing his previous single-season career high in goals scored (13), which he set in 79 games in 2021-22.
• Rasmus Dahlin has recorded 30 points (6+24) in his last 25 games, including 10 points (3+7) in his last nine games.
• A point in tonight’s game would give Dahlin a three-game point streak.
• In his last 19 games, Jeff Skinner has recorded 27 points (12+15).
• Casey Mittelstadt owns five points (0+5) in his last five games.
APEX PREDATORS
• In 18 games against the Predators in his career, Jeff Skinner has tallied 20 points (11+9), including three points (2+1) in the past two games.
• Vinnie Hinostroza has recorded four points (3+1) in his last four games against Nashville.
• Dylan Cozens and Alex Tuch both own three assists in their last two games against Nashville.
NASHVILLE PREDATORS NOTES:
ALL-TIME vs. BUFFALO
OVERALL (31 GP) 17-11-(1)-2
HOME (16 GP) 6-8-(0)-2
ROAD (15 GP) 11-3-(1)-0
LAST MEETING April 1, 2022 at BUF (L, 4-3)
PLAYOFFS Never Met
− The Predators are 17-11-(1)-2 all-time against the Sabres, including a 6-8-(0)-2 record at Bridgestone Arena.
− This is the first of two matchups between Nashville and Buffalo in 2022-23; it is the first and only at home.
− Nashville went 0-2-0 against Buffalo last season, dropping a 4-1 decision on home ice on Jan. 13.
− The Predators are 2-3-0 in their last five games against the Sabres; they are 5-4-1 in their last 10; and 2-2-1 in their last five at home.
NOTABLES vs. BUFFALO
− Ryan Johansen is on a personal 14-game point streak vs. Buffalo in which he’s tallied 16 points (4g-12a). He’s recorded a point in 16 of his 19 career games against the Sabres (4g-15a).
− Matt Duchene has 10 points (3g-7a) in his last 10 games vs. Buffalo, including a three-point effort (3a) on Feb. 15, 2018.
− Mikael Granlund has seven points (3g-4a) in his last 10 games against Buffalo.
− Juuse Saros made his NHL debut on Nov. 28, 2015 vs. Buffalo.
− Colton Sissons scored his first career NHL goal on March 27, 2014 vs. Buffalo (Matt Hackett).
− Jeremy Lauzon scored his first goal with the Predators on April 1, 2022 at Buffalo (Craig Anderson).
− Mark Jankowski played in 19 games for the Sabres in 2021-22, tallying five points (2g-3a).
− Predators Assistant GM, Director of Player Development and Milwaukee Admirals GM Scott Nichol began his NHL career with Buffalo, skating in five games for the Sabres from 1995-97.
− Predators Assistant Coach Dan Lambert spent one season in the same role for the Sabres in 2015-16.
LAST TIME OUT
− Nashville Predators 3, Montreal Canadiens 4 – Jan. 12 (Centre Bell)
− NSH goals: Niederreiter (13), Forsberg (18), Parssinen (4)
− MTL goals: Evans (2), Dach (7), Caufield – PP (24), Caufield – PP/GWG (25)
− Goaltenders: NSH – Askarov (L, 31/35); MTL – Montembeault (W, 39/42)
− Power plays: NSH 0-3; MTL 2-3
− Notes: Nashville moved to 10-10-3 on the road in 2022-23… Nashville closed out its two-game regular-season series against Montreal with a 1-1-0 record… The Predators concluded their five-game road trip with a 3-2-0 record, picking up wins over Carolina, Washington and Ottawa… Yaroslav Askarov made 31 saves in his NHL debut… Juuso Parssinen led the Predators with two points (1g-1a)… Nino Niederreiter opened the scoring with his 13th goal of the season and first since Dec. 30 at Anaheim… Mattias Ekholm tallied an assist to give him seven points (3g-4a) in his last 12 games… Cody Glass also assisted on Parssinen’s goal to give him nine points (3g-6a) in his last 15 contests… Cole Smith returned to the lineup after missing the previous six games with an upper-body injury.
INJURY REPORT
Player Designation Dates Missed Games Missed
Mark Borowiecki Upper body – IR Oct. 27-Jan. 12 34
Michael McCarron NHL/NHLPA PAP Dec. 12-Jan. 12 16
Kevin Lankinen Illness – day-to-day Jan. 12 1
Total man-games lost: 84
Borowiecki – 35; McCarron – 17; McDonagh – 7; Smith – 6; Trenin – 5; Carrier – 4; Glass – 3; Lauzon – 3; Jankowski – 2; Duchene – 1; Lankinen – 1
NASHVILLE PREDATORS GAME NOTES
Jan. 14, 2023 vs. Buffalo Sabres
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
− Jan. 13: Reassigned goaltender Yaroslav Askarov to Milwaukee (AHL).
− Jan. 11: Recalled goaltender Yaroslav Askarov from Milwaukee (AHL). Reassigned defenseman Roland McKeown to Milwaukee (AHL).
− Jan. 2: Recalled defenseman Roland McKeown from Milwaukee (AHL).
− Jan. 1: Reassigned defenseman Roland McKeown to Milwaukee (AHL).
− Dec. 29: Recalled defenseman Roland McKeown from Milwaukee (AHL).
− Dec. 27: Recalled forward Tommy Novak from Milwaukee (AHL).
QUICK HITS
− Nashville has scored 12 first-period goals since Dec. 27, the second-most in the NHL in that time span.
− The Predators are ninth in the NHL in face-off percentage (52.1 percent).
− Among NHL players who have taken at least 500 faceoffs, Ryan Johansen is tied for fourth at 59.2 percent.
NASHVILLE PREDATORS GAME NOTES
Jan. 14, 2023 vs. Buffalo Sabres
− Johansen won at least 50 percent of his faceoffs in a franchise-record 23 consecutive games, a streak that came to an end on Nov. 23 at Detroit. The previous record was held by current Predators Assistant GM Scott Nichol, who did so in 17 straight games during the 2006-07 season.
− Colton Sissons is second in the NHL in shorthanded faceoffs won (84).
− Matt Duchene has 11 points (5g-6a) in his last 13 games. He scored in four straight contests from Dec. 17-23 (4g) and had a five-game point streak from Dec. 15-23 (4g-1a).
− Tommy Novak has eight points (4g-4a) in 12 games with Nashville since being recalled from Milwaukee (AHL) on Dec. 19.
− Nashville’s 4-3 OT win on Dec. 1 at New Jersey came in dramatic fashion.
o Mikael Granlund tied the game at 3-3 with 10 seconds remining in the third period, the third-latest game-tying goal in franchise history. It was also the third time in Predators history the team has tied a game with 10 seconds or less remaining in the third period and went on to win in overtime or a shootout; the last time was Feb. 27, 2020 vs. Calgary when Granlund tied the game with one second remaining and went on to score the OT winner.
o Additionally, Ryan Johansen opened the game’s scoring just 11 seconds into the first period. It tied the Predators record for fastest goal to begin a game (David Legwand – April 5, 2007 vs. St. Louis) and was the fastest goal to begin a road game in franchise history. Nashville became the fifth team in the past 24 years to score goals in the first 15 seconds and final 15 seconds of the game and first since Boston on Feb. 3, 2021.
− Mark Jankowski was selected by Calgary in the first round (21st overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft. That pick was initially held by Nashville but was traded to Buffalo on Feb. 27, 2012 for Paul Gaustad and a fourth-round pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, with which the Predators used to select Juuse Saros. To close the pick history, Buffalo traded the 21st overall choice in the 2012 NHL Draft to Calgary with a second-round pick in the 2012 NHL Draft (Patrick Sieloff) for the 14th overall pick (Zemgus Girgensons).
− The Predators had three prospects compete in the 2023 World Junior Championship.
o Jack Matier (fourth round, 124th overall in 2021) won gold for Canada on Jan. 5. He had one assist in seven
games for the tournament-winning Canadians.
o Ryan Ufko (fourth round, 115th overall in 2021) helped the United States earn a bronze medal in an 8-7 OT win over Sweden on Jan. 5. He led the Americans in assists with nine and topped all team blueliners in points with 10. Ufko tallied a game-high five points (5a) in the Americans’ quarterfinal victory over Germany on Jan. 2; his five assists were tied for the second-most by an American in a game in World Juniors history.
o Joakim Kemell (first round, 17th overall in 2022) skated for Finland, which was eliminated in the quarterfinals on Jan. 2. He tallied four points (2g-2a) – tied for the team high – in five games.
