Storylines
1. The lineup (updated 5:05 p.m.)
Devon Levi will start in goal, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff confirmed. Levi has stopped 57 of 62 shots in two starts this season, including a 34-save victory over the Panthers on Saturday.
Ruff also said that Jack Quinn will “in all likelihood” be scratched tonight, which would likely open the door for Jiri Kulich to return to the lineup. Ruff has spoken highly of Kulich’s growth through three games this season.
“I think he understands a little better what the NHL game is about – the speed you have to play at, the plays you have to make when you’re under pressure, where your options are,” Ruff said. “I think that’s his growth. We know he has a bomb for a shot. And I’ve said that I think his ceiling in this league is kind of unlimited with the tools that he has.”
2. Back-to-back
The Sabres are concluding their second back-to-back set of the season. Ruff spoke ahead of the trip about learning from the first set, a pair of losses to the New Jersey Devils in Czechia earlier this month.
Ruff said he thought the Sabres played a strong game in the first meeting with the Devils, but gave up too many high-danger chances in the second.
“The part I really like is, in the meetings after that, everybody recognized that you just can’t go running all over the place,” Ruff said. “You can’t make high-risk plays.
“You’re in a back-to-back, don’t give up the high-quality chances. But you have to play a smarter game in back-to-back games, or a lot of times your energy can’t match the team you’re playing against if they’re not playing back-to-back.”
3. Scouting the Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets are coming off an emotional home opener in which they honored the lives of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.
With the Gaudreau family in attendance, the team raised a banner in Johnny and Matthew’s memory to the rafters pregame. They took the opening faceoff with the left-wing spot vacated in tribute to Johnny, then allowed 13 seconds to elapse off the game clock as a nod to his jersey number.
Sean Monahan – Gaudreau’s close friend and teammate for years in Calgary – scored a goal during the 4-3 loss to Florida and immediately pointed to the Gaudreau banner.
“I felt like Johnny was watching down on us today,” Monahan said postgame, according to the Blue Jackets website.