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

The Buffalo Sabres welcome the Anaheim Ducks for a Monday matinee at KeyBank Center.

The team will celebrate Youth Hockey Day by recognizing youth hockey players and teams around Western New York and Southern Ontario with special festivities throughout the afternoon.

“I hope it has a great impact. I know the players enjoy stuff like that because they’re very in touch with their youth teams,” Sabres coach Don Granato said. “Hockey players are very in touch with their roots and where they started and I think even seeing different jerseys and different logos, the players get excited about that.”

Tickets are available here.  

Pregame coverage on MSG/MSG+ begins at noon with puck drop scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Fans without cable can also stream MSG on Fubo. Radio coverage can be found on WGR 550.

Here are five things to know.

1. Team updates

During his pregame availability, Granato provided an update on defenseman Owen Power, who has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury.

“Owen is progressing,” he said. “Every report has been optimistic. So, I think later this week, we’re going to have a real good indication of maybe a target date.”

Granato also shared that goaltender Eric Comrie will be unavailable for Monday's game due to an illness, so Dustin Tokarski, who was recalled from Rochester in the morning, will back up Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

2. In the crease

Luukkonen is set to make his 28th start of the season and his 13th start in Buffalo’s last 16 games. He has posted a .943 save percentage and 1.60 goals-against average since Jan. 1, which leads NHL goaltenders with at least four games played in that span.

Luukkonen’s .914 save percentage in 2023-24 ranks tied for fifth among NHL goalies with 30 or more games played while his four shutouts rank fourth. The goaltender made 30 saves in the Sabres’ 3-2 overtime win over Minnesota on Saturday and has now posted 30 or more saves on eight occasions this season.

3. Last time out

After finding themselves down 2-1 with under two minutes to go against Minnesota on Saturday, the Sabres pulled Luukkonen for the extra attacker and were rewarded as Dylan Cozens scored the game-tying goal with 36.6 seconds remaining to force overtime.

Henri Jokiharju tallied the overtime winner after Alex Tuch fed him in the slot for a one-timer to complete the 3-2, come-from-behind win over the Wild.

Casey Mittelstadt, a native of Eden Prairie, Minn., scored the Sabres’ first goal in front of his family and friends while Jordan Greenway, who made his return to Xcel Energy Center for the first time since being traded to Buffalo last March, recorded the primary assist on Cozens’ game-tying goal.

4. Dahlin’s impact

Rasmus Dahlin has averaged 28:14 of ice time per game in his last five games, which ranks first among all NHL skaters since Feb. 1. The defenseman has recorded three points (1+2) in that span, including two power-play points.

As the Sabres deal with injuries to Mattias Samuelsson and Power, Dahlin has seen increased time on both the power play and penalty kill, logging 2:35 of shorthanded ice time per game and 3:02 of power-play time per game during the month of February.

Dahlin is currently tied for second among all NHL defensemen in goals (14) and tied for ninth among all NHL defensemen in points (41). He needs one goal to match his previous single-season career high (15), which he set in 78 games in 2022-23.

5. Scouting the Ducks

Anaheim is coming off a 9-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday and has posted a 1-3-0 record since the All-Star break.  

The Ducks currently sit in seventh place in the Pacific Division standings with 40 points (19-33-2) in 2023-24.

Forward Frank Vatrano leads the team with 24 goals and 42 points this season while fellow forward Troy Terry has 39 points (15+24) in his 51 games played.