After a couple of days off following a 2-1 loss to the Panthers, the Sabres are back in action today to take on the Washington Capitals in a rare matineè game.
Buffalo won the earlier meeting of the season a couple of weeks ago, a 2-1 shootout victory at the First Niagara Center.
The Sabres come into this game with scoring struggles over the last few weeks. They’ve scored five goals in their last five games, and just three in their last four. Despite that, the Sabres have been playing much better at home as of late.
In addition, Buffalo can expect Cody Hodgson to return to the lineup after being out since December 19th.
“I’m really excited,” Hodgson said. “The team’s been getting a lot of points, especially at home, so it’s good to watch and learn some things about the team and how I can fit in a little better.”
Ville Leino is also expected to return while Tyler Myers will sit out the 2nd game of his three game suspension.
“You don’t want players to get hurt, but once in a while when they do and they have to rest their bodies, they come back with some renewed energy,” Nolan said. “They seem both ready to go.”
Matt Moulson is the only player for Buffalo with more than 20 points on the season, and that’s only if you take into account his points with the Islanders. Washington has seven.
The Capitals been on and off as of late, having gone 4-3-3 in their past 10.
Although Alex Ovechkin leads the league with 32 goals, he doesn’t lead his team in points. The Sabres will have to keep an eye on him and Nicklas Backstrom, who has 48 points (11 goals, 37 assists) in 44 games.
Today’s game is scheduled for 3 p.m. and can be seen on MSG.