The NHL regular season is officially here as the Buffalo Sabres are set to take the ice against the New York Rangers. Last season, the Sabres had success against the Rangers as they won two out of their three meetings and outscored them 16-6 in those games.
Even with it being the first game of the season, the Sabres have had to deal with some adversity early on due to injuries. They have been without a number of players throughout the preseason, including four of their Top 6 on defense.
However, that group appears to be getting healthier and almost back to full strength as Mattias Samuelsson and Owen Power are expected to play. The Sabres are going to need that as they will be without their starting goalie, which creates a great opportunity for this first player.
4 Buffalo Sabres to watch against the New York Rangers
Alex Lyon
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was supposed to be the starting goalie for the Buffalo Sabres but he has already had to deal with two lower-body injuries over the past few weeks. The first was before training camp but it kept him out of practice for a few weeks. The second was suffered in the first period of his first preseason game, and it is unclear when he will be ready to return.
In the offseason, the Sabres signed free agent Alex Lyon, and he is now stepping into a much bigger role than anyone expected at the time they signed him. He has primarily been a backup but has been productive with a career save percentage of .902 and a goals against average of 2.99.
The Rangers are a team he knows pretty well as this is the franchise he has played the second most in his career. However, he hasn't had much success with a 2-4-1 record with a goals against average of 2.99.
This is probably the biggest question mark going into this game and if Lyon gets off to a fast start, it will be a big boost for the Sabres.
Jacob Bryson
While the Sabres are expected to have Owen Power and Mattias Samuelsson back for the opener, they will not have Michael Kesselring. After the Sabres acquired him in the JJ Peterka trade, the expectation was that he would pair with Power so now the coaching staff needs to find the replacement.
Based on some of the lines at practice this week, it seems that the player is going to be Jacob Bryson. After practice on Wednesday, head coach Lindy Ruff highlighted Bryson's experience as what gave him the edge over Ryan Johnson.
"“Both players have played well,” Ruff said. “I think Bryson’s experience gives you a little edge sometimes. Even late last year, he was playing against some of the top lines and doing a real nice job for us."
The difference between Bryson and Ryan Johnson seems marginal so if Bryson struggles in the game against the Rangers, it wouldn't be surprising to see Johnson in the lineup against Boston.
Josh Norris
Of the players on this list, Josh Norris might be the player who has the most excitement entering this game for the Buffalo Sabres. He has been with the team since the middle of last season but is still largely an unknown after playing in only three games.
He has dealt with more than his fair share of injuries in his career and that has really limited him. However, the decision to shut it down last season has put him in a position to be back to full strength and start the season off well.
Norris should be able to do that if the preseason is any indication, as he has looked excellent next to Tage Thompson on that top line. While he has spent most of the preseason in this spot, he is going to need to continue to deliver, and that is why this is a big game for him.
Jiri Kulich
The last player is one who has flown under the radar a bit to begin the year but could have a big role this season. Kulich had a productive rookie season with 24 points in 62 games and seemed to be an option at center on that top line entering training camp.
Norris would win that job, and Kulich was on a line with Jack Quinn and Josh Doan for most of the preseason. However, recently the Sabres have moved him around and bumped him up to the second line with Jason Zucker and Alex Tuch.
This is a move that could be very beneficial for Kulich entering his second season, as he gets to play alongside two veterans. It will be interesting to see if this change carries over from practice into the game against the Rangers, but regardless of where he is in the lineup, he has a chance to make an impact.