Buffalo Sabres
Sabres Look to ‘Electrify’ Home Crowd Against Kings Without Peterka

The NHL season comes home to Buffalo today, as the Buffalo Sabres make their home debut. The Sabres face the Los Angeles Kings tonight as they look to bounce back from the winless opening two games of the season in Prague. The Kings traveled across the country to make their season debut, the first full one under head coach Jim Hiller.
Where to Watch
Gametime: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: KeyBank Center (Buffalo, NY)
TV: MSG, Bally Sports West
Stream: MSG+
Radio: WGR550
Sabres Gameday
The Sabres have started 0-2, and, to make matters worse, injuries have already thinned the forward group. Head coach Lindy Ruff said top left winger JJ Peterka will be out today. He suffered a concussion in game two against the New Jersey Devils in Prague. Peterka returned to practice in full on Wednesday and skated on a line with Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch, so the news is somewhat of a surprise.
Zach Benson, according to Ruff, is a game-time decision. The Sabres will dress an extra player in case Benson cannot go, meaning they’d likely go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen.
More: Two Injured Sabres Could Return for Thursday’s Home Opener
If Benson cannot play, either Jacob Bryson or Dennis Gilbert will likely get the call. Bryson took line rushes on Tuesday with Buffalo’s fourth line in lieu of Peterka and Benson.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was in the starter’s net, suggesting he will be the Sabres’ goalie tonight.
Los Angeles Kings
The Kings have a completely new look this season. They’re sporting a fresh new logo and flashy new jerseys, have a new coach in Hiller, and ditching the 1-3-1 system. Los Angeles also has some younger players in bigger roles for the team, especially with veteran Drew Doughty out long-term.
Jordan Spence and Brandt Clarke are expected to combine to fill Doughty’s duties at even strength and on the powerplay. Forward Quinton Byfield also shifted to center, where he was projected to excel when the Kings drafted him second overall in the 2020 NHL Draft.
The Kings have a new goaltender as well, as Darcy Kuemper practiced as the team’s incumbent starter throughout training camp. He is expected to get the start tonight for the Kings against the Sabres.
Injury Report
Buffalo Sabres
- Nicolas Aube-Kubel (Lower Body) 3-6 weeks [IR]
- JJ Peterka (Concussion) Day-to-day
- Zach Benson (Lower Body) Day-to-day
Los Angeles Kings
- Drew Doughty (Ankle) Month-to-month [IR]
- Arthur Kaliyev (Collarbone) Week-to-week
Projected Lineups
Buffalo Sabres
Forwards
Jiri Kulich – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch
Zach Benson* – Dylan Cozens – Jack Quinn
Jason Zucker – Ryan McLeod – Jordan Greenway
Beck Malenstyn – Peyton Krebs – Sam Lafferty
Defense
Rasmus Dahlin – Henri Jokiharju
Owen Power – Bowen Byram
Mattias Samuelsson – Connor Clifton
Goalies
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Projected)
Los Angeles Kings
Forwards
Alex Laferriere – Anze Kopitar – Adrian Kempe
Tanner Jeannot – Phillip Danault – Trevor Moore
Kevin Fiala – Quinton Byfield – Warren Foegele
Alex Turcotte – Akil Thomas – Trevor Lewis
Defense
Mikey Anderson – Jordan Spence
Vladislav Gavrikov – Kyle Burroughs
Joel Edmundson – Brandt Clarke
Goalies
Darcy Kuemper (Projected)
Source: PuckLuck
Betting Odds Breakdown
Even before the news of JJ Peterka missing the game, the Los Angeles Kings were well-liked by the PuckLuck projections. According to the model, the Kings are projected for 106 points, which would be a big season.
With the moneyline fairly even, the Kings are the obvious play over the Sabres today. PuckLuck gives them about a 56% chance of winning, compared to the implied 52% by the sportsbooks. The puckline is also a good play for the Kings, although the payout is minimal at the +1.5 spread.
The key player that endears Los Angeles to the model is goalie Darcy Kuemper. With a better environment in front of him, Kuemper’s shown that he can be a top-tier goaltender in the NHL.
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For more betting analysis across the NHL, head over to PuckLuck.com.
*PuckLuck.com provides data related to gambling and cannot guarantee the success of any suggested or related wagers. Please gamble responsibly.*