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

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power is week to week with an injury and will miss Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings at KeyBank Center, coach Don Granato announced.

Power left Monday’s practice early due to his injury and underwent imaging to evaluate it following the practice.

“It’s going to be week to week,” Granato said. “I think in one week we’ll have a better idea of how long and what a return would look like at that point. So, week to week, and I think the hope [is] that the short end would be a couple weeks.”

The 21-year-old currently ranks second among Sabres skaters in average time on ice (22:28) and has recorded 18 points (2+16) in 51 games while logging heavy minutes on both the power play and penalty kill.

The Sabres are also without one of their top penalty killers in Mattias Samuelsson, who underwent successful surgery to repair an upper-body injury and will be out for the remainder of the season.

Granato said his defensemen will have to be prepared to share the workload with Power and Samuelsson both out.

“We’re down Samuelsson and Owen. So, that’s about 40-some minutes, close to 50 minutes, a game that is going to have to be shared by the rest of the group,” he said. “And you know, Clifton, when you look at where the depth is, he’s a guy that’s probably going to get quite a few more minutes and opportunity as a result.”

Granato said the plan will be to recall a defenseman from Rochester “soon.”

Pregame coverage on MSG/MSG+ begins at 6:30 p.m. with puck drop scheduled for 7. Radio coverage can be found on WGR 550.

Here are five things to know before the puck drops.

1. Lineup updates

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

Granato shared that Jacob Bryson will step in on defense for Power while forward Victor Olofsson will enter the lineup in place of Eric Robinson.  

He also said that Olofsson, who has been a healthy scratch for the past five games, has kept himself ready for his opportunity.

“He’s one guy that – you watch him every day – he’s kept himself ready,” Granato said. “Because of that, you certainly want to see him be successful as a coach, and obviously, his success would help us.”

2. In the crease

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was the first goaltender off the ice and is expected to make his fourth consecutive start.

Since Jan. 1, Luukkonen has recorded a .937 save percentage and a 1.72 goals-against average in 10 games played. He ranks third in the NHL in both categories in that span (minimum three games played).

3. The season series

Tuesday marks the second and final meeting between the Sabres and Kings this season.

Buffalo defeated Los Angeles on Jan. 24 as the Sabres scored four unanswered goals en route to a come-from-behind, 5-3 victory over the Kings.

JJ Peterka led the team with a pair of goals and an assist in his first career three-point game while Dylan Cozens also recorded a multi-point performance, tallying a goal and an assist.

4. Cozens’ production

Cozens has registered seven points (3+4) in his last six games and is tied with Casey Mittelstadt for the team lead with 16 primary assists this season.

According to Natural Stat Trick, Cozens ranks first on the team in individual high-danger chances (48) and third in individual scoring chances (104) in 2023-24.

“I feel like I haven’t been my best this year so far and I know I have a lot more to give,” Cozens said. “I think as of lately, I’ve started finding my game and feeling myself a little bit more. So, I’m just going to go into these last 30 games with a lot of confidence.”

5. Scouting the Kings

Los Angeles opens a four-game road trip in Buffalo after winning its last two games against Nashville and Edmonton.

Adrian Kempe, who has recorded four points (2+2) in his last five games, leads the Kings with 44 points (17+27) in 49 contests this season.

Forward Trevor Moore has tallied an assist in three consecutive games and is the team’s leading goal scorer (21) through its first 49 games.