Game Preview | 5 things to know ahead of Sabres vs. Senators

Buffalo Sabres forward Jeff Skinner is week to week with an upper-body injury, the team announced Thursday.

The Sabres will be without their leading goal scorer when they host the Ottawa Senators tonight at KeyBank Center in the second game of a six-game homestand.

“Skinny is a big part of when we go – he’s usually going,” Granato said. “Yes, it’s a big loss. … Guys just have to elevate and pick up.”

Skinner missed Wednesday’s practice after skating 15:42 and recording one goal, one assist, and three shots against Seattle on Tuesday.

The forward currently leads all Sabres skaters with 17 goals in 2023-24 and ranks second on the team in points with 33, behind Casey Mittelstadt.

Granato said Skinner sustained the injury during Buffalo’s game versus Seattle and that the team will reevaluate his status after a week.

“In one week, we’ll kind of know how far this thing’s resolved,” he said. “You know, when you’re dealing with a broken bone – this is not a broken bone – you can put a timetable on it. This is, you know, a little different, softer tissue.”

Tickets for tonight's game are available here.

The pregame show on MSG/MSG+ begins at 6:30 p.m. with faceoff scheduled for 7. 

Here are five things to know before puck drop.

1. Lineup updates

The Sabres held an optional morning skate and did not run line rushes.

Granato said captain Kyle Okposo will return to the lineup in place of Skinner while there will be no other changes at the forward position. Defenseman Ryan Johnson will re-enter the lineup after serving as a healthy scratch for the last three games.

2. In the crease

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was the first goaltender off the ice and is expected to get the start versus the Senators.

Luukkonen posted a 40-save performance in his last start to lead the Sabres to a 3-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins last Saturday. The 24-year-old has recorded a 2-0-1 record in his last three appearances, stopping 87 of 94 shots for a .926 save percentage.

3. Season series

The Sabres and Senators will meet for the third time after splitting their first two meetings of the season in Ottawa.

Buffalo defeated Ottawa 6-4 on Oct. 24 behind goals from Skinner (2), Tage Thompson (2), Zemgus Girgensons, and Alex Tuch before dropping their last matchup 5-1 on Dec. 31. Thompson scored the lone goal on New Year’s Eve and now has six points (5+1) in his last five games against the Senators.

The two teams will meet for the final time this season on Wednesday, March 27 in Buffalo.

4. Mittelstadt mode

Mittelstadt has continued his production in 2023-24, recording 13 points (5+8) in his last 11 games and tallying at least a point in eight of those contests.

The forward leads all Sabres skaters with 35 points (11+24) in the campaign, including 31 even-strength points and 24 even-strength assists.

Mittelstadt is on pace to surpass his single-season career highs in goals, assists, and points.

5. Scouting the Senators 

Ottawa enters Thursday’s game on a four-game losing streak and has posted a 4-12-0 record on the road this season.

Claude Giroux (6+10) and Tim Stutzle (3+13) lead the Senators with 16 points each on the road this season as the team’s leading point scorers. Stutzle has tallied 34 points (7+27) in 2023-24 while Giroux has registered 32 (10+22).