Preview: Red Wings aiming to turn on the offense against visiting Sabres

The Detroit Red Wings will look to get back into the win column on Saturday night when the Buffalo Sabres visit Little Caesars Arena. Detroit and Buffalo, separated by nine points in the Atlantic Division, will play a home-and-home series in the span of 65 hours.
Saturday's puck drop is set for 7 p.m. on Bally Sports Detroit and the Red Wings Radio Network. The Sabres will also host Detroit at the KeyBank Center on Monday afternoon in commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The Red Wings are 1-3-2 to start the 2022 calendar year, including a 3-0 loss to the visiting Winnipeg Jets. Detroit has struggled offensively as of late, producing just eight goals in the past six games. Thursday's shutout was the second the Red Wings were dealt in the past four games.
"I thought we showed up. We just didn't show up on the scoreboard, and that's where it matters," Dylan Larkin said. "We have to find ways to score. You have to score every night in this league to win. I think there was a lot of positives, and we're going to look at this game and we're going to need to get going here and start winning."

Coach Jeff Blashill continues to stress the importance of creating power play chances to break the streak and begin reversing the trend.
"If you keep generating them, you will score eventually," Blashill said. "That's what we need."
The Red Wings enter Saturday's game at 16-17-5 this season with 37 points. Buffalo is 11-19-6 overall (28 points), and has lost six of its last seven games, dating back to Dec. 17. In the last meeting on Nov. 27, Lucas Raymond scored 26 seconds into overtime to lift Detroit past the Sabres, 3-2, at Little Caesars Arena.
The Sabres have been hit particularly hard with COVID protocols, with 13 players missing games from Dec. 29 to Jan. 13.
Buffalo's Tage Thompson cleared protocol and is expected to play Saturday. The winger entered protocol on Jan. 10, and is tied for the team lead in points. Kyle Okposo has seven goals and 16 assists, while 2022 NHL All-Star Rasmus Dahlin has 22 points on six goals and 16 helpers. Jeff Skinner leads the club with 13 goals.
Due to injuries and protocol, five different Buffalo netminders have registered at least three starts this season. Aaron Dell, who made his first appearance on Thursday since Dec. 4, made 29 saves in the Sabres' 4-1 win over the Predators on Thursday.
Monday's game will begin at 1 p.m., wrapping up the season series between Detroit and Buffalo.