Game Preview | 5 things to know ahead of Sabres at Wild 

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Buffalo Sabres coach Don Granato made changes to the lines during Friday’s practice at KeyBank Center ahead of Saturday’s matchup with the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center.

The changes saw Peyton Krebs move in between Zach Benson and JJ Peterka, in an opportunity for him to take on a more offensive role.

Granato said the decision was based on Krebs’ recent play and the ability to put Alex Tuch back alongside Jeff Skinner and Tage Thompson while sliding Dylan Cozens in to center Jordan Greenway and Casey Mittelstadt.

Granato referenced Krebs’ game against Florida on Thursday as a night that depicted what the young forward can do with his patience and confidence with the puck.

“You watch the highlights of elite, skilled maneuvers, it’s usually the defender makes the first move, and the offensive guy has the patience to wait him out and then skill to counter that move,” Granato said. “And Peyton has a lot more of that in his game. There’s a lot more patience and poise and presence in his game. He’s a slippery guy when he gets the other defender to bite first.”

Although he doesn’t mind who he’s skating next to, Krebs is looking forward to the opportunity to playing his style of game alongside Peterka and Benson.

“I work hard. I try to win every battle and get them the pucks,” he said. “It’s pretty easy to do that when you get them the puck and they do their thing. It’s fun to play with.

“Obviously, JJ and Benny are really skilled players. I’m going to do my thing and get them the puck, and it’s gonna be fun.”

Saturday’s pregame coverage on MSG/MSG+ begins at 4:30 p.m. with puck drop scheduled for 5. Fans without cable can also stream MSG on Fubo. Radio coverage can be found on WGR 550.

Here are five things to know before the puck drops.

1. Projected lines

Here are the projected lines and pairs based on the team’s practice on Friday:

Forwards

53 Jeff Skinner – 72 Tage Thompson – 89 Alex Tuch

9 Zach Benson – 19 Peyton Krebs – 77 JJ Peterka

12 Jordan Greenway – 24 Dylan Cozens – 37 Casey Mittelstadt

71 Victor Olofsson/50 Eric Robinson – 28 Zemgus Girgensons – 21 Kyle Okposo

Defensemen

26 Rasmus Dahlin – 10 Henri Jokiharju

78 Jacob Bryson – 75 Connor Clifton

33 Ryan Johnson – 6 Erik Johnson

Goalies

1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

31 Eric Comrie

2. In the crease

Goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who missed Thursday’s game with a lower-body injury, is expected to start against the Wild.

Luukkonen has started in nine of Buffalo’s last 11 games, recording 222 saves on 235 shots for a .945 save percentage and a 1.47 goals-against average in that span.

“I feel great,” Luukkonen said after Friday’s practice. “… It was kind of something we wanted to keep under control, nothing crazy. So, I’m ready to go tomorrow, so it’s all good.”

3. Greenway’s return to Minnesota

Greenway will make the trip to Xcel Energy Center for the first time since being traded to the Sabres by the Wild last March.

The forward appeared in 317 NHL games over the span of six seasons for Minnesota prior to his arrival in Buffalo.

Greenway has recorded 17 points (8+9) in 41 games this season and has established himself as a key member of the Sabres’ penalty kill, leading all Sabres forwards with over 122 minutes of shorthanded ice time.

4. Head-to-head series

The Sabres and Wild will meet for the second and final time this season after Buffalo defeated Minnesota 3-2 in Buffalo on Nov. 10 in their first meeting of 2023-24.

Buffalo is riding a five-game point streak against Minnesota (4-0-1) and has earned at least one point in five of its last six road contests against the Wild (4-1-1).

5. Scouting the Wild

Minnesota has posted a 4-0-0 record during the month of February after defeating Arizona, Vegas, Pittsburgh, and Chicago.

Forward Matt Boldy enters the matchup on a three-game point streak with seven points (3+4) in his last three contests. Fellow forwards Joel Eriksson Ek (3+2) and Kirill Kaprizov (1+4) are riding three-game point streaks of their own, each with five points in that span.

Eriksson Ek leads the Wild in goals with 24 through the team’s first 53 games of the season while Kaprizov has totaled a team-best 50 points (20+30) in 46 games played.