Game Day Five: Sabres vs Senators, Jan. 1
The set-up
Both the Senators and Sabres come into today's match finishing off a back-to-back, though under different circumstances. While the Senators were edged by Detroit at Little Caesars Arena, Buffalo pulled out a big overtime win on the road against Boston. Winners of six straight, Buffalo is a team that can attack from all angles with five skaters over 30 points already, the first team in the NHL to do so this season. Led by their young star forward Tage Thompson 27 goals and 51 points on the season, the Senators will have their hands full slowing down this team.
The Senators are set up to counter, or at least match, Buffalo's attack with five skaters of their own who have tallied 30 points on the season. Led by captain, Brady Tkachuk with 38 points, the Senators are just the second team in the NHL to hit that mark. Lately, the Senators have been carried by the strong play of their second line. Drake Batherson is currently riding a 13-game point streak, the longest active streak in the NHL and tied for the third longest in franchise history, while Alex DeBrincat tallied 19 points in the month of December.
Many of the points that Batherson and DeBrincat tallied came on the power play, which until last night was the third ranked power play in the league. Still ranking sixth overall converting 27.2% of their power plays on the year, the Senators will look to right the ship after an 0-4 performance against Detroit. Buffalo leapfrogged into the third best power play unit in the league, scoring on 28.7% of their chances this year. This game could well come down to the special teams play tonight, and while Buffalo has a narrow advantage in power plays, the Senators penalty kill has been firing on all cylinders only giving up two goals since December 6th. Look for this division battle to go right down to the wire.
Roster notes
Following last night's game against the Detroit Red Wings the Senators re-assigned defenceman Jacob Larsson to Belleville. Below is how the Senators lined up last night against Detroit:
Forwards:
Tkachuk - Stützle - Giroux
DeBrincat - Pinto - Batherson
Kelly - Gambrell - Lucchini
Brassard - Kastelic - Watson
Defense:
Chabot - Zub
Sanderson - Hamonic
Holden - Bernard-Docker
Past history
Tonight will mark the 172nd time these two division foes have faced off with Buffalo holding the edge with an 85-76 record with 10 additional ties. Since 2016 this rivalry has been split right down the middle with each side taking 13 of the 26 games. Going even further these two have split their two meetings this season, both beating each other at home 4-1. These two could not be more evenly matched in recent memory, now with only three points separating the two in the standings.
Who to watch
Defenceman Artem Zub made his return to the ice yesterday against Detroit following a 12-game absence while he rehabbed an injury to his jaw. Though not the result the team wanted, Zub showed flashes of why he is a top line pairing. Zub has tallied two goals and two assists on the year, but more importantly it's the stability he provides on the blue line that is worth noting. Though it's a small sample size, when Zub and his defensive partner Thomas Chabot both play the Senators are 7-5-0.
With a game already under his belt in his return, look for Zub to establish the physical nature he's become known for and try to slow down this dynamic Buffalo offence.
Where to watch
For those not at Canadian Tire Centre, Sunday's game can be seen live on TSN5 and RDS2. Fans can also tune into the radio call on TSN 1200 and Unique FM 94,5.
