Sunday, December 22, 2024
Sports Gaming Monitor

NHL Preview: Buffalo Sabres (26-21-4) at Los Angeles Kings (29-18-7)

BUFFALO SABRES NOTES:

LAST GAME
Saturday, Feb. 11
Calgary 7 at Buffalo 2
Goals: Thompson, Mittelstadt
Goalie: Luukkonen (33 saves/40 shots)
PP: 1/3; PK: 2/3; Shots: Calgary 40 – Buffalo 23

CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 102)
Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
N/A

TRANSACTIONS IN PAST SEVEN DAYS
2/7: Agreed to a seven-year contract extension worth $49.7 million ($7.1 million AAV) with F Dylan Cozens

UPCOMING GAMES
Wednesday, Feb. 15: Buffalo at Anaheim, 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 18: Buffalo at San Jose, 10:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 21: Toronto at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 23: Buffalo at Tampa Bay, 7:00 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 24: Buffalo at Florida, 7:00 p.m.

TODAY’S GAME
SABRES AT KINGS
• This is the second and final meeting between the Sabres and Kings this season.
• Last meeting: Buffalo defeated Los Angeles 6-0 in Buffalo on Dec. 13, 2022.
• The Sabres are 5-5-0 in their last 10 games against the Kings; 3-6-1 on the road.
• This is the 131st game all-time between Buffalo and Los Angeles; Buffalo has a 64-47-19 series record.
• The Sabres are 26-29-10 on the road against the Kings all-time.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
• The Sabres are 4-1-0 on the road against Pacific Division opponents this season. The last season Buffalo won at least five road games against Pacific teams was 2017-18, when Buffalo went 5-2-1 in such contests.
• Rasmus Dahlin has recorded 39 points (7+32) in his last 36 games, including eight points (1+7) in his last eight games.
• Alex Tuch has notched 44 points (17+27) in his last 36 games, including 10 points (4+6) in his last 10 games.
• Tage Thompson has recorded 18 points (8+10) in his last 16 games.
• In the last matchup between the Sabres and the Kings, Thompson earned three points (2+1).
• Dylan Cozens has tallied 36 points (13+23) in his last 37 games.
• Cozens registered three assists vs. the Kings on Dec. 13, 2022.
• Victor Olofsson has 10 points (8+2) in his last 12 games.
• In his last 30 games, Jeff Skinner has notched 36 points (15+21).

LOS ANGELES KINGS NOTES:

FEB. 13 vs. Buffalo Sabres – 7:30 PM PT // Venue: Crypto.com Arena // TV: Bally Sports West // Radio: iHeartRadio

  • The LA Kings host the Buffalo Sabres for the second, and final, meeting between these two clubs this season (6-0 L on Dec. 13).
  • The Kings aim to split the season series with the Sabres.
  • Tonight’s game marks the second of three games at Crypto.com Arena for the month of February (6-0 W on Feb. 11 vs. PIT; Feb. 18 vs. ARI).

WARM-UPS
1) The Kings have won eight of their last 11 meetings against the Sabres at Crypto.com Arena, dating back to Dec. 6, 2007 (8-3-0)
2) With Saturday’s win over Pittsburgh, the Kings improved their record to 18-2-1 when leading after two periods of play this season.
3) With a point tonight, Jaret Anderson-Dolan can extend his point streak (2-1=3) to a career-long four games.
4) Rasmus Kupari recorded his second multi-point outing (0-2=2) of his NHL career on Saturday.
5) Saturday night’s game marked the fourth day since 2000-01 to feature two players each score four goals (Adrian Kempe & Artemi Panarin). The others: Nov. 4, 2021 (Patrice Bergeron & Brock Nelson), Nov. 2, 2005 (Daniel Alfredsson & Martin Havlat) and Oct. 28, 2000 (Randy McKay & John Madden).

vs. BUFFALO ALL-TIME:
All-Time Record: 48-61-18-3
Home: 30-26-9-0
Away: 18-35-9-3
OT: 2-3 (6 ties)
Shootout: 1-1
2021-22: 2-0-0
2022-23: 0-1-0

FRANCHISE LEADERS vs. BUFFALO:
Marcel Dionne – 41 GP, 41 PTS (19-22=41)
Luc Robitaille – 32 GP, 37 PTS (19-18=37)
Butch Goring – 40 GP, 33 PTS (14-19=33)
Dave Taylor – 46 GP, 32 PTS (10-22=32)
Juha Widing – 32 GP, 29 PTS (13-16=29)
*-denotes active roster player

LAST MEETING vs. BUFFALO: Dec. 13, 2022 – LAK 0 at BUF 6
Venue: KeyBank Center
LAK Goals: –
BUF Goals: Thompson (22, 23), Olofsson (13), Peterka (7), Tuch (14), Krebs (3)
Goalies: LAK: Copley (L, 25 saves, 31 shots) BUF: Anderson (W, 40 saves, 40 shots)
LAK PP: 0-for-3
LAK PK: 3-for-6

THE NEXT THREE:
Fri., Feb. 17 | at Anaheim Ducks | 6:00 p.m. PT | ESPN | LA Kings iHeart Radio Audio Network
The Kings aim for their fifth consecutive win over Anaheim.

Sat., Feb. 18 | vs. Arizona Coyotes | 7:30 p.m. PT | Bally Sports West | LA Kings iHeart Radio Audio Network
The Kings have points in their last seven consecutive games against Arizona, dating back to May 5, 2021 (5-0-2).

Tues., Feb. 21 | at Minnesota Wild | 7:00 p.m. MT (5:00 p.m. PT) | Bally Sports West | LA Kings iHeart Radio Audio Network
Drew Doughty is currently riding a six-game point streak (2-6=8) against the Minnesota Wild, tied for the second-longest active point streak vs. MIN among defensemen.

INJURY & MGL REPORT
Player, Games Missed, Date(s), Status
F Alex Iafallo, 23 games, Oct. 18 – Dec. 3 (lower-body)
F Brendan Lemieux, 18 games, Nov. 14 – Dec. 20 (lower-body)
F Arthur Kaliyev, 18 games, Dec. 22 – Jan. 31 (lower-body)
F Trevor Moore, 16 games, Dec. 27 – Jan. 31 (upper-body)
F Gabriel Vilardi, 9 games, Nov. 27 (lower-body); Jan. 19 – Pres. (undisclosed)
F Carl Grundstrom, 8 games, Jan. 19 – Pres. (lower-body)
F Quinton Byfield, 6 games, Oct. 27 – Nov. 5 (illness)
F Viktor Arvidsson, 3 games, Oct. 13 (illness); Oct. 25 (illness); Jan. 11 (illness)
D Sean Durzi, 2 games, Nov. 19 – Nov. 22. (lower-body)
D Drew Doughty, 1 game, Dec. 11 (lower-body)
2022-23 Total Regular-Season Man-Games Lost: 104

RECENT TRANSACTIONS (as of 2/12/23)
Feb. 1 – Tobias Bjornfot (D), Samuel Fagemo (F) and Alex Turcotte (F) loaned to Ontario (AHL).
Feb. 10 – Pheonix Copley (G) re-signed to a one-year contract extension.
Feb. 11 – Trevor Moore (F) and Arthur Kaliyev (F) activated off injured reserve. Jacob Moverare (D) recalled from Ontario (AHL).
Feb. 12 – Jacob Moverare (D) loaned to Ontario (AHL).

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