Main storyline: The Buffalo Sabres (2-8-1) have yet to find any consistency as they dropped their previous contest in overtime to the Boston Bruins, 3-2. Pittsburgh enters the game coming off a 3-0 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.
Season series: Tonight’s game is the first of three meetings this season and the only matchup at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh.
Where they stand: The Sabres sit in 29th with just five points, whereas the Penguins are 10th in the league at 13 points.
Recent performance: Buffalo won just two games in the month of October and averaged barely over one goal, while Pittsburgh won six of nine. The Sabres are coming off back-to-back losses to division rivals. After being shutout by the Maple Leafs on Tuesday, Brad Marchand and the Bruins came back to win 3-2 in overtime on Thursday. Pittsburgh has won it’s last three games, outscoring opponents 14-3 in that span and recording a pair of shutouts.
Buffalo notes: Buffalo averages 1.09 goals per game while giving up 3.27 per game. Buffalo is 29th in the league at 2.9% powerplay conversion rate. The Sabres are tied for 8th at penalty killing percentage at 85.4. This will be the first game without 2014 1st Round pick, Sam Reinhart, who was returned to the Kootenay Ice on Friday. Drew Stafford leads the team with six pts (one goal, five assists) and Tyler Ennis with five pts (four goals, one assist).
Opponent notes: The Penguins will finish off their three-game homestand tonight after already winning the first two. Pittsburgh leads the league in scoring with four goals per game while yielding only 2.44 goals per game. They are first in power play conversion at 39.5% per game. Marc-Andre Fleury has a .926 save percentage and has recorded two shutouts in the past three contests.
Conclusion: Buffalo looks to pick up a huge win against a conference foe, while the Penguins seek a fourth consecutive victory.