Main storyline: It’s the second time in four nights that the two worst teams in the National Hockey League meet up this season. The Buffalo Sabres (20-47-8) and the Arizona Coyotes (23-45-8) will play against one another once again on Monday, this time in Arizona at the Gila River Arena.
Season series: Monday’s matchup is the second and last of the season between the Sabres and Coyotes. The previous meeting came up on Thursday in Buffalo with the Coyotes beating the Sabres 4-3 in overtime. Sam Gagner scored on the powerplay in the extra frame to give Arizona the win over the Sabres on home-ice.
Where they stand: The Sabres sit in 30th place in the league, and the Coyotes are behind them in 29th place. Need I say more? The Sabres sit behind the Coyotes by six points in the standings, and the Sabres only have seven games in the 2014-15 season. The magic number for the Sabres to clinch the last place spot in the league is five more regulation losses.
Recent performance: The Sabres went into Colorado on Saturday losers of its last eight meetings against the Avalanche. Well, make it nine as the Sabres fell to the Avalanche 5-3. Andrej Meszaros scored two goals for the Sabres, while Rasmus Ristolainen had another, but all those goals came too little, too late in the end. Buffalo has not beaten Colorado since December 4, 2005 when the Sabres beat the Avalanche at the Pepsi Center. For the Coyotes, the team finished its Eastern Conference road swing with a matchup in Pittsburgh against the Penguins. After taking a 1-0 lead early in the third, the Penguins score three unanswered goals to take the lead. The Coyotes would add a goal late, but the Penguins would hold on for the win.
Buffalo notes: Buffalo’s struggles continue this season with injuries, as now Buffalo’s top scorer is out due to injury. Tyler Ennis missed Saturday’s game against Colorado with an upper-body injury, and it appears that the Sabres will be without Ennis once again on Monday in Arizona. Ennis injured himself in the game on Thursday against the Coyotes, but head coach Ted Nolan hopes to have Ennis back for Wednesday’s game against the Maple Leafs. Sabres captain Brian Gionta will once again take Ennis’ spot on the first line with Matt Moulson and Johan Larsson. Matt Hackett is also out of the lineup on Monday due to irritations in his ailing knee. The Sabres were forced to recall Andrey Makarov from the Rochester Americans, and he will back up Anders Lindback in net for the Sabres. And Nikita Zadorov will return to the lineup on Monday in place of Tyson Strachan.
Arizona notes: The Coyotes head back home following a road trip that saw them play against teams from the Eastern Conference. In the three games on the road, the Coyotes were able to snag four of a possible six points on the trip in Detroit and in Buffalo. For the Coyotes, they have six games left in its season, and the remaining portion of the team’s schedule after the Sabres will be division rival teams. The Coyotes do not expect its lineup to change all that much from when the team was in Buffalo on Thursday, and Mike Smith will once again get the start in the net for Arizona.
Conclusion: Will the Sabres gain any ground on the Coyotes with a win, or will the Coyotes continue to leave the Sabres in the dust. Opening face-off from the desert is slated for 10pm, and the game can be seen on MSG Network.