The Buffalo Sabres are seeking to continue their winning streak tonight against an upstart Seattle Kraken team. Can they sweep their road trip?
So far, the Buffalo Sabres have been one impressive hockey team. They outscored opponents 22-11 to open the season, including a 15-6 run during this Western Canada/West Coast road trip. Now, they face the Seattle Kraken, a team that looks to have improved during its second season.
The Sabres have seen their fair share of injuries early on, unfortunately. Ilya Lyubushkin missed a game while Henri Jokiharju was scratched on Saturday after taking a puck to the face on Thursday night against Calgary. Then Mattias Samuelsson went down with what initially looked like a serious lower body injury in the Sabres 5-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks.
Despite the bumps and bruises, Buffalo has enough in the defensive rotation thanks to a sound prospect pool at the AHL level. Lawrence Pilut and Kale Clague, two players with extensive NHL experience, could see time both tonight and in the near future. Will their presence help or ultimately hurt the Sabres tonight if called on? Here are the odds.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Kraken Odds – Game 6
Per Fan Duel, the Buffalo Sabres are +1.5 underdogs against the Kraken. The current Over/Under sits at 7, and the Sabres hold a +105 moneyline. The moneyline for the Kraken is -106.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Kraken Prediction – Game 6
The Sabres are one of the NHL’s hottest teams while the Kraken are still looking for consistency. This puts the game in the Sabres favor, but at the same time, the Kraken have the home crowd plus a strong sense of urgency to keep pace in the NHL’s Pacific Division, where they are currently tied for third.
While I like the Sabres in this one, I am still unsure how well their goaltending will keep up if they continue to get outshot and outmuscled. Therefore, I’m still picking the Kraken in this one in a 5-4 outing.
(Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change)