Sunday, December 22, 2024

NHL Preview: Buffalo Sabres (24-19-3) at St. Louis Blues (23-21-3)

BUFFALO SABRES NOTES:

LAST GAME
Monday, Jan. 23
Buffalo 3 at Dallas 2 (OT)
Goals: Dahlin, Olofsson, Power
Goalie: Anderson (29 saves/31 shots)
PP: 0/3; PK: 0/1; Shots: Dallas 31 – Buffalo 25

CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 99)
Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
N/A

TRANSACTIONS IN PAST SEVEN DAYS
1/18: Placed F Vinnie Hinostroza on waivers
1/19: Recalled G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen from Rochester (AHL); Loaned F JJ Peterka to Rochester; Recalled F JJ Peterka from Rochester (AHL); Assigned F Vinnie Hinostroza to Rochester

UPCOMING GAMES
Thursday, Jan. 26: Buffalo at Winnipeg, 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 28: Buffalo at Minnesota, 9:00 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 1: Carolina at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 11: Calgary at Buffalo, 12:30 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 13: Buffalo at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.

TODAY’S GAME
SABRES AT BLUES
• This is the first of two meetings between the Sabres and Blues this season.
• Last meeting: Buffalo defeated St. Louis 6-2 in Buffalo on Nov. 23, 2022.
• The Sabres are 4-5-1 in their last 10 games against the Blues; 1-7-2 on the road.
• This is the 129th game all-time between Buffalo and St. Louis; Buffalo has a 51-60-17 series record.
• The Sabres are 15-36-11 on the road against the Blues all-time.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
• Victor Olofsson has 10 points (9+1) in his last 10 games and is riding a four-game goal streak.
• Rasmus Dahlin has recorded 36 points (7+29) in his last 31 games, including five points (1+4) during his current three-game point streak.
• Alex Tuch has notched 40 points (15+25) in his last 31 games.
• A point in tonight’s game would give Tuch a point streak of six or more games for the second time in his career and the first time as a member of the Sabres.
• Tage Thompson has recorded 12 points (5+7) in his last 11 games and has recorded at least one point in each of his last four games.
• With a point in tonight’s game, Thompson would earn his third point streak of five or more games in 2022-23.
• Dylan Cozens has tallied 34 points (12+22) in his last 33 games.
• In his last 25 games, Jeff Skinner has notched 32 points (14+18).
• Skinner is riding a four-game point streak and a point in tonight’s game would mark his second point streak of five or more games this season.
• Tyson Jost has registered at least one point in three of his last four games.

TUESDAY BLUES
• In Buffalo’s first meeting with St. Louis this season, Jack Quinn and Jeff Skinner each recorded two goals.
• Alex Tuch has registered five points (1+4) in his last five games against the Blues.
• In three career games against St. Louis, Dylan Cozens has tallied three points (2+1).

ST. LOUIS BLUES NOTES:

CURRENT INJURIES
Scott Perunovich – Shoulder (Re-evaluated in 6 months, announced on Oct. 4)
Marco Scandella – Right Hip (Re-evaluated in 6 months, announced on Sep. 20)
Torey Krug – Lower-Body (Re-evaluated in 6 weeks, announced on Dec. 27)
Vladimir Tarasenko – Hand Injury (Re-evaluated in 4 weeks, announced on Jan. 2)
Ryan O’Reilly – Broken Foot (Re-evaluated in 6 weeks, announced on Jan. 2)
Robert Bortuzzo – Lower-Body (announced on Jan. 9)
2022-23 Total Man Games Lost: 204

Recent Transactions
January
22 – Assigned defenseman Steven Santini to the Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL)
20 – Activated forward Logan Brown from IR
20 – Assigned forward Nikita Alexandrov to the Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL)
13 – Assigned defenseman Dmitri Samorukov to the Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL)
9 – Placed defenseman Robert Bortuzzo on injured reserve

BLUES VS. SABRES

  • This will be the 2nd and final matchup between the Blues and Sabres this season
  • The Sabres won the first matchup of the season, 6-2 back on Nov. 23 in Buffalo
  • The Blues went 2-0-0 against Buffalo last season
  • The Blues are 6-2-1 in their last 9 games against Buffalo
  • The Blues have also won 9 straight home games against Buffalo (Jan. 21, 2012 – Present)
  • The Blues’ 9-game home win streak against Buffalo is the longest home win streak against Buffalo in franchise history and shares the 4th longest home win streak against a single opponent in franchise history
  • Going back to Feb. 18, 2011, the Blues are 15-3-1 in their last 19 games against Buffalo
  • The Blues have scored at least 1 power play goal in 4 straight games against Buffalo, going 5 for 10 (50.0%) on the power play over those 4 games
  • With his next win, Jordan Binnington will pass Grant Fuhr for 4th on the Blues all-time franchise list with 109 wins
  • Craig Berube will appear in his 320th game as the Blues Head Coach, matching Brian Sutter for 3rd on the Blues all-time franchise list

LONGEST HOME WIN STREAKS AGAINST A SINGLE OPPONENT IN FRANCHISE HISTORY
OPPONENT START DATE END DATE GAMES W L T OT ACTIVE
Cleveland Barons 10/28/1970 12/3/1974 12 12 0 0 0 No
Colorado Avalanche 11/16/1984 11/28/1991 11 11 0 0 0 No
Tampa Bay Lightning 11/21/1992 2/19/2004 10 10 0 0 0 No
Buffalo Sabres 1/21/2012 2/25/2022 9 9 0 0 0 Yes
New Jersey Devils 12/13/1980 10/19/1985 9 9 0 0 0 No
Pittsburgh Penguins 3/3/1980 3/7/1985 9 9 0 0 0 No
Los Angeles Kings 10/12/1968 10/31/1970 9 9 0 0 0 No

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
1/26 – at Arizona
1/28 – at Colorado
1/30 – at Winnipeg
2/11 – vs. Arizona
2/14 – vs. Florida

A LOOK AHEAD

  • The Blues will finish off a season-long 7-game home stand on Tuesday vs. Buffalo (3-3-0 so far) after starting 2023 with a 4-game road trip (3-1-0 on 4-game trip)
  • The Blues will embark on a 3-game road trip to close out January, starting Thursday in Arizona
  • The Blues will play 8 of their next 13 games at Enterprise Center, including Tuesday vs. Buffalo, which will go through February and take them into March
  • 4 of the Blues’ next 5 games will come against Central Division opponents

EXTRA NUGGETS

  • The Blues are 11-6-3 in their last 20 games overall since Dec. 11 vs. Colorado
  • The Blues’ 11 wins share 11th in the NHL (1. Boston, 16), while their 25 points share 8th in the NHL (1. Boston, 35 points) since Dec. 11
  • The Blues are 20-7-0 this season when scoring first, which shares the 6th most wins in the NHL (1. Boston, 24-0-2)
  • The Blues are 1 of 4 teams to record 3 multi-goal third period comeback wins this season (Kings/Islanders/Ducks)
  • The Blues have 8 players who have scored at least 10 goals this season, which shares the most in the NHL with Boston
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