BUFFALO SABRES NOTES:
LAST GAME
Monday, March 13
Buffalo 4 at Toronto 3
Goals: Tuch (2), Quinn, Cozens
Goalies: Anderson (25 saves/28 shots)
PP: 1/3; PK: 1/1; Shots: Buffalo 29 – Toronto 28
CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 120)
Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
Eric Comrie (lower body) – 1 game
Mattias Samuelsson (upper body) – 1 game
TRANSACTIONS IN PAST SEVEN DAYS
3/8: Loaned D Lawrence Pilut to Rochester (AHL)
3/13: Activated F Alex Tuch from injured reserve
UPCOMING GAMES
Friday, March 17: Buffalo at Philadelphia, 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 19: Boston at Buffalo, 1:00 p.m.
Tuesday, March 21: Nashville at Buffalo, 7:00 p.m.
Friday, March 24: New Jersey at Buffalo, 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 25: Buffalo at NY Islanders, 5:00 p.m.
TODAY’S GAME
SABRES AT CAPITALS
• This is the third and final meeting between the Sabres and Capitals this season.
• Last meeting: Buffalo defeated Washington 7-4 in Buffalo on Feb. 26.
• The Sabres are 4-4-2 in their last 10 games against the Capitals; 3-5-2 on the road.
• This is the 177th game all-time between Buffalo and Washington; Buffalo has a 94-58-24 series record.
• The Sabres are 44-31-13 on the road against the Capitals all-time.
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
• Buffalo has earned at least one point in five of its last six matchups with Washington dating back to Buffalo’s 5-2 win on April 15, 2021.
• A win today would also give Buffalo 34 wins on the season, two more than they earned in 82 games in 2021-22.
• The Sabres last earned 34 or more wins in a season in 2015-16 (35).
• Alex Tuch has recorded six goals in his last six games dating back to Feb. 15 at Anaheim.
• Tuch has tallied nine points (6+3) in that span.
• Rasmus Dahlin is one assist away from becoming the first Sabres defenseman since Phil Housley in 1989-90 (60) to record 50 or more assists in a single season.
• With an assist, he would join Housley and John Van Boxmeer as the only defensemen in franchise history to reach 50 assists in a single season.
• In his last nine games, Dylan Cozens has collected nine points (6+3).
• Tage Thompson has recorded 37 points (16+21) in his last 33 games, including 18 points (7+11) in his last 14 games.
• Thompson needs one goal in tonight’s game to become the first Sabres skater to record 43 or more goals in a season since Thomas Vanek (43) in 2006-07.
• In his last 45 games, Jeff Skinner has notched 53 points (24+29), including 17 points (9+8) in his last 14 games.
• Skinner is riding a three-game point streak and has tallied four points (2+2) in that span.
• JJ Peterka has notched six points (1+5) in his last seven games.
THAT’S CAP
• In his last two games against Washington, Dylan Cozens has totaled five points (3+2).
• Tage Thompson has recorded at least one point in three consecutive games against the Capitals and has tallied six points (4+2) in that span.
• Jeff Skinner has notched four points (3+1) in his last three games against the Capitals and a point in today’s game would give him a four-game point streak against Washington.
• Casey Mittelstadt is riding a five-game point streak against Washington and has recorded six points (2+4) in that span.
• Jack Quinn has earned two points (0+2) in two career games against the Capitals.
WASHINGTON CAPITALS NOTES:
LAST GAME
Washington 3, New York Rangers 5
March 14, 2023 * Madison Square Garden * New York, NY
Shots: WSH: 31; NYR: 36
Power Plays: WSH: 0/4; NYR: 1/2
Three Stars: 1. Zibanejad (NYR), 2. Kane (NYR), 3. Shesterkin (NYR)
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Recalled forward Joe Snively from AHL Hershey, 3/14
Re-signed defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk to a three-year contract extension, 3/11
Loaned defenseman Vincent Iorio to AHL Hershey, 3/10
Loaned defenseman Dylan McIlrath to AHL Hershey, 3/8
Recalled forward Aliaksei Protas and defenseman Dylan McIlrath from AHL Hershey, 3/5
INJURIES/ILLNESSES
Carl Hagelin: 10/12/22-3/14/23 (68 games)
Connor Brown: 10/20/22-3/14/23 (64 games)
John Carlson: 10/31/22-11/9/22, 12/27/22-3/14/23 (38 games)
Alex Ovechkin: 1/21/23, 3/14/23 (2 games)
Sonny Milano: 12/15/22, 3/14/23 (2 games)
Marcus Johansson: 2/25/23-2/26/23 (2 games)
Tom Wilson: 10/12/22-1/6/23, 1/26/23-2/16/23 (49 games)
Nicklas Backstrom: 10/12/22-1/6/23, 1/24/22 (43 games)
Dmitry Orlov: 11/7/22-12/9/22 (16 games)
Washington Capitals: Media Notes
Erik Gustafsson: 12/11/22 (1 game)
Lars Eller: 12/13/22 (1 game)
Darcy Kuemper: 12/5/22-12/17/22 (7 games)
Hunter Shepard: 12/17/22 (1 game)
Alex Alexeyev: 12/11/22-12/19/22 (5 games)
Beck Malenstyn: 11/3/22-12/27/22 (26 games)
T.J. Oshie: 10/31/22-11/19/22, 12/19/22-12/31/22 (17 games)
Nic Dowd: 12/17/22, 1/17/23-2/18/23 (13 games)
Anthony Mantha: 2/12/23, 2/23/23-2/26/23 (4 games)
Martin Fehervary: 12/5/22-12/29/22, 3/4/23-3/9/23 (15 games)
Nick Jensen: 3/4/23-3/9/23 (3 games)
Man Games Lost: 377
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
March 17, 7 p.m. ET vs. St. Louis (NBCSW, 106.7 The Fan/Caps Radio 24/7)
March 19, 2 p.m. ET at Minnesota (NBCSW, NHLN, 106.7 The Fan/Caps Radio 24/7)
March 21, 7 p.m. ET vs. Columbus (NBCSW+, 106.7 The Fan/Caps Radio 24/7)
March 23, 7 p.m. ET vs. Chicago (NBCSW, 106.7 The Fan/Caps Radio 24/7)
March 25, 8 p.m. ET at Pittsburgh (ABC, ESPN+, 106.7 The Fan/Caps Radio 24/7)
TONIGHT’S GAME
The Capitals host the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday at Capital One Arena for the third and final meeting between the teams this season. The Capitals trail the season series 0-1-1, falling 7-4 to Buffalo on Feb. 26 at KeyBank Center and dropping a 5-4 overtime decision to the Sabres on Jan. 3 at Capital One Arena. Washington is 67-86-15-8 all-time versus Buffalo and 12-3-3 in their last 18 games against the Sabres dating back to the 2018-19 season. In addition, the Capitals are 10-1-2 in their last 13 games against Buffalo at home.
HOME vs. BUFFALO SABRES
Record Goals For Goals Against Streak
35-39-9-5 247 280 1 BUF OT win (1/3/23)
CAPITALS vs. SABRES ALL-TIME (Career Totals)
Games Goals Assists Points
Ovechkin (61) Ovechkin (40) Backstrom (26) Ovechkin (64)
Backstrom (52) Backstrom/Smith (13) Ovechkin (24) Backstrom (39)
Carlson (40) Oshie/Sheary/Wilson (6) Kuznetsov (18) Oshie (23)
Penalty Skill
- The Capitals have killed off 52 of 60 opposing power plays (86.7 percent) over their last 23 games, dating back to Jan. 16.
- The Capitals’ 82.5 penalty kill percentage this season ranks seventh in the NHL.
- Per Natural Stat Trick, the Capitals have allowed the seventh-fewest shots on goal (284) while shorthanded this season.
Team Discipline
- On average, the Capitals are shorthanded 2.78 times per game, which is the third-lowest rate in the League.
- Washington’s +29 net penalty differential ranks tied for first in the NHL, through games played March 14.
