Preview: Coyotes Host Sabres in Second of Back-to-Back Games

Dec. 16, 2023 | 7 pm MST | Mullett Arena, Tempe, Ariz.

WHERE TO WATCH:
• Antenna: 61.1 Phoenix, 9.2 Tucson
• Phoenix Cable: Cox 95
• Phoenix Satellite: DirecTV Channel 61, Dish Network Channel 61
• Bullhead City / Lake Havasu: Optimum channel 6
• Flagstaff: American Cable channel 4, Optimum Cable channel 6
• Maricopa: Orbitel channel 11
• Pinal County: Mediacom channel 13
• Prescott: Sparklight channel 61
• Sedona: Optimum Cable channel 6
• Show Low / Winslow Sparklight channel 61
• Tucson: Cox channel 85, Xfinity channel 1179, Orbitel channel 208

WHERE TO LISTEN:
• Radio: ESPN 620
• Stream: Arizona Coyotes App, NHL Mobile App

Fresh off a 1-0 win over San Jose on Friday, the Arizona Coyotes are set to host the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday in the second of back-to-back games. 

Saturday also marks the second-and-final day of the team’s annual toy drive, and fans are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to the arena, which will then be delivered to Phoenix Children’s by Coyotes players on Monday.

Saturday’s game is also the final time Arizona and Buffalo will face each other this season. The Sabres won the last meeting 5-2 in Buffalo on Monday.

“They’re a good team,” forward Jack McBain said. “We’re going to have to come out hard again and play a full 60 minutes.”

Matias Maccelli scored the game’s only goal in the Coyotes’ win over San Jose on Friday, and he has now recorded at least one point in five consecutive games. The 23-year-old has scored in two straight, and the five-game streak the second such streak of his season.

Karel Vejmelka is expected to get the nod in net tonight, and the 27-year-old netminder is 2-7-2 with a 3.50 goals-against average and .892 save percentage this season. 

Player to Watch: Forward Michael Carcone leads the team leads the team with 14 goals, and he scored against the Sabres earlier this week – the only time in his career he’s faced them.

ABOUT THE SABRES
Buffalo has won two of three games, including Monday’s matchup against Arizona, and is coming off a 5-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday. The Sabres scored four goals in the third period of last night’s game led by Casey Mittelstadt’s two goals.

Goalie Devon Levi earned the win the first time the team met, and the 22-year-old is 3-0-1 over his last four starts, allowing two-or-fewer goals in each of those games. That said, he was also in net for Buffalo’s win over Vegas on Friday – which ran about an hour longer than the Coyotes game at Mullett Arena – so it’s entirely possible Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen gets the nod in the second of back-to-back games, though starting lineups were not yet available. If he does, the 24-year-old is 6-6-1 with a 2.99 GAA, .901 SV%, and one shutout this season, but has allowed 13 goals over his last three appearances. He has never faced the Coyotes.

Buffalo has four players with 22-or-more points, as Mittelstadt (25), Rasmus Dahlin (25), John-Jason Peterka (22) and Jeff Skinner (22) have led the way this season. Eric Robinson and Kyle Okposo notched three points the last time the teams met, as the Sabres outshot the Coyotes 38-23 in the game.

“They’re big and they’re skilled,” head coach André Tourigny said. “If you’re not physical and you don’t go through them, and if you’re not relentless in your battles, they will hold the puck, and they will have the puck and make plays.” 

Buffalo ranks 25th in the league, averaging 2.90 goals per game, and statistically allows the 12th-most goals on average at 3.29. The Sabres’ power play is 26th at 13.48 percent, and their penalty kill ranks 13th with an 80.81 success rate.\

Player to Watch: Alex Touch is coming off a two-point game, and has fared well against the Coyotes in his career with five goals and 10 assists in 20 games against them.