The Buffalo Sabres have seen themselves collapsing in the third period lately. They can’t afford to do this against the Colorado Avalanche.
Despite some epic collapses lately, the Buffalo Sabres have escaped total destruction over the past two contests, notching three out of a possible four points against two playoff-caliber hockey teams. Now they get to face the defending Stanley Cup Champions in a contest that will provide perhaps their largest measuring stick of the season.
So can the Blue and Gold pull out an epic win, or will they discover they still have ways to go before they can hang with defending champions? Let’s check out the odds.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Avalanche – Odds
Per Fan Duel, the Buffalo Sabres are +1.5 underdogs at home to the Avalanche. The Over/Under sits at 6.5, and the Sabres moneyline is +168. The Avalanche’s moneyline is -205.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Avalanche – Prediction
The Sabres can score, no doubt, having notched 10 goals over their past two contests. But they cannot afford to let third period leads slip away. On Monday night, they blew a two-goal lead to the Tampa Bay Lightning, before following that up with allowing a three-goal lead go to waste.
This is a game where I am having a hard time seeing the Sabres win, so instead, I will be generous and say yes, they do hang with the Avalanche, who have taken a step back this season with a 12-7-1 record (25 points). The Avalanche have also scored fewer goals per game than the Sabres, at 3.4, but they have been much better defensively, allowing just 2.5 per contest.
For this game, my projection is that the Sabres lose it 5-3, taking a 3-3 tie into the third period, but with Colorado notching a go-ahead goal early. The Sabres will take the 4-3 deficit into the final minute, but the Avs will ice the game on an empty-netter.
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