Buffalo Sabres Try to Shake Last-Place Blues
The Buffalo Sabres will try to end their 12-game losing streak tonight as they head to Edmonton to face another struggling team, the Edmonton Oilers.
The Buffalo Sabres and the Edmonton Oilers are the bottom two teams in the National Hockey League, with 31 and 33 points each, respectively. Tonight’s game will be an interesting one, particularly for fans who are looking ahead at the NHL draft lottery and how the standings affect that.
Tonight’s game is another late one, as the Buffalo Sabres continue their Western Canada road trip. Sabres fans hoping to catch tonight’s game will have to stay awake a little later than usual – puck drop is set for 9:30 p.m.
Tonight’s game between the Buffalo Sabres and Edmonton Oilers will be televised as usual on MSG in Buffalo and BELL TV in Southern Ontario.
This game will be an interesting one for this reason: the Buffalo Sabres haven’t lost at Rexall Place since October 2003.
More from Sabre Noise
- 3 biggest standouts at Buffalo Sabres 2023 Prospects Challenge
- 3 takeaways from the Buffalo Sabres final Prospects Challenge game
- Buffalo Sabres experiment with lesser-known talent in loss to Pens
- Buffalo Sabres 75 Bold Predictions for 2023-24: Prediction 51
- Buffalo Sabres vs. Pittsburgh: A quick look at the Penguins prospects
That’s a solid stretch, but with a 12-game losing streak going, will that change tonight?
Either way, one of the streaks is going to come to an end — and I personally hope it’s not loss #13 in a row. With 34 games left on the schedule this season for the Buffalo Sabres, something’s got to give eventually. The team can’t possibly keep losing at the current rate without retribution of some sort (…. can they?)
Heading into tonight’s game, there’s a few players to note. One piece that may be missing tonight for the Edmonton Oilers is forward Taylor Hall, whose status is currently “day-to-day.”
But another piece on the Oilers roster to watch out for: former Buffalo Sabres forward Derek Roy. Will he score against his former team? How about guys like Nail Yakupov, Teddy Purcell or team-leading scorer Ryan Nugent Hopkins?
Drew Stafford has recorded at least a point in six of seven career games against Edmonton; he has 10 points total against the Oilers, including six (4-2) in the last four games. Will he continue his winning ways against the struggling Oilers?
How about defenseman Mike Weber, who has four points (2-2) in four career games against the Oilers? Zemgus Girgensons and Matt Moulson also average a point per game in their NHL careers versus Edmonton, with two points in two games and six points in six games, respectively.
One piece missing for the Buffalo Sabres will be defenseman Nikita Zadorov, who remains out of the lineup after being suspended by the team. Cody McCormick, Marcus Foligno and Michal Neuvirth also remain out for the Sabres this evening.
Fans outside the local markets can catch tonight’s Buffalo Sabres vs. Edmonton Oilers game on NHL GameCenter Live or NHL Center Ice.
Of course, you can also listen to tonight’s game online through the Buffalo Sabres website, or listen to the WGR-550 local broadcast of the game through the radio station’s website.
Will Weber, Moulson and Girgensons continue their limited successes against the Oilers? Will Taylor Hall suit up for Edmonton tonight, or will he be one less problem the Sabres need to worry about? Most of all: will the Buffalo Sabres break their 12-game losing streak, or will they suffer their first loss at Rexall Place in over 11 years?