The Need to Knows
- Time: 1:00 pm PT
- Place: KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY
- Where to Watch: KHN, KONG, ESPN+, MSG-B, SN
- Where to Listen: Kraken Audio Network on 93.3 KJR
- An Opposing Viewpoint: Die By The Blade
Know Your Enemy
Nuance is of the utmost importance when it comes to dissecting the Buffalo Sabres ahead of their Saturday matinee against the Seattle Kraken. Eight points out of seizing the second Wild Card spot in the east– the aftermath of a 13-game losing skid stretching from Nov. 27 to Dec. 21– with half of the season to go, they’re postseason competition to nobody.
Regardless, Buffalo should not be underestimated. The Sabres are 5-4-1 over their last 10 games and riding consecutive wins into this afternoon’s contest, looking for their fifth three-game win streak of the season. Tage Thompson, Jason Zucker, and Alex Tuch sit at the top of the roster in terms of scoring with 96 points combined, and Buffalo’s collective 10.49 five-on-five SH% is second in the league. Scoring 12.76 goals above expected this season (second-most in the NHL) is grounds for questioning the sustainability of their offensive spoils, especially considering their subpar control of shot quality this season (47.13%, 26th).
Transient or not, the Sabres’ productivity is problematic at present. Goals are coming from throughout the offensive zone, but especially from close-range tips and deflections as well as from wrist shots and snap shots nearing 40 feet from the goal line. Their power play is heating up, too– over their last 12 games, Buffalo’s converting on 28.1% of man-advantage opportunities.
Game Preview
Buffalo may not be fearsome opponents to anybody on the hunt for a ticket to the postseason, but neither is Seattle, nine points from taking the second Wild Card in the west and winning just one of their last ten games in regulation. (The Kraken have two wins in that span).
Last time these two teams met– at Climate Pledge Arena on March 18th, 2024– Seattle suffered a 6-2 loss, their first loss to the Sabres in franchise history. That was also Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s first start against the Kraken (.941 SV%). Luukkonen, Buffalo’s undeniable starter, has 30 under his belt already this season and could feasibly play again Saturday. He won his last two, backstopping a shootout win against the Capitals on Monday and shutting out the Senators on Thursday.
Yanni Gourde is technically eligible to return to the lineup, but at any rate, Seattle’s focus should be on the defensive side of things. Allowing at least three goals in nine of their last ten games and still freshly wounded from a 6-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, limiting “easy goals” against will be necessary.