Buffalo Sabres
Panthers Lineup Missing 3 Key Players Versus Sabres

Three winless games to start the season isn’t exactly what head coach Lindy Ruff had in mind for his return to Buffalo. He and the Sabres will look to avoid making it four as they face the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers tonight at KeyBank Center.
The Panthers roster includes familiar faces in former Sabres Sam Reinhart, Evan Rodrigues, and Dmitry Kulikov. They’ll be without star center Aleksander Barkov, who is out with a lower-body injury, and Matthew Tkachuk, who is ill. The Sabres will be without scoring winger JJ Peterka, who is still recovering from a concussion suffered in the second game of the season.
Where to Watch
Gametime: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: KeyBank Center (Buffalo, NY)
TV: MSG, SCRIPPS
Stream: MSG+
Radio: WGR550
Sabres Gameday
With Peterka out, the Sabres will again rely on the rest of the lineup to dig out of the scoring slump. Ruff emphasized that he wants the team to make better plays in the offensive zone.
“If you’re outside that high-percentage area for shooting, it’s find the next play, so that the percentage goes up, Ruff said. “That’s the type of plays we’re talking about.”
Buffalo has received average goaltending from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, which hasn’t been enough amidst the scoring woes. They’ll turn to Devon Levi tonight, who was outstanding in the second game of the season in Prague. Levi was drafted by the Panthers in the seventh round of the 2020 NHL Draft before he was traded to the Sabres as part of the deal for Reinhart.
More:Â Only One Goal from Tuch Lowers Sabres Individual Grades Versus Kings
Florida Panthers
Losing Barkov leaves a big hole in the middle of Florida’s lineup. According to Elliotte Friedman, the Finnish center did not suffer a fracture but was spotted in the visiting bench area during Buffalo’s morning skate.
We will see about exact timeline, but good news for Aleksander Barkov is imaging determined no fracture.
So he will be out a bit, but worst outcomes avoided, thankfully
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 12, 2024
Tkachuk is the juice of Florida’s lineup, always finding a way to drag the Panthers into the fight. It will be a quieter lineup without him, star talent aside.
The Panthers are 1-1 to start the season, defeating the Boston Bruins 6-4 and losing to the Ottawa Senators 3-1. They’re hard on the puck and like to get in the face of their opponents, which should amplify the type of fast-paced, aggressive style the Sabres are trying to play.
Former first round pick Spencer Knight gets his first start of the season tonight for Florida.
Injury Report
Buffalo Sabres
- Nicolas Aube-Kubel (Lower Body) 3-6 weeks [IR]
- JJ Peterka (Concussion) Day-to-day
Florida Panthers
- Aleksander Barkov (Lower Body) Out
- Matthew Tkachuk (Ill) Out
- Tomas Nosek (Upper Body) Out [IR]
- Adam Boqvist (Face) Day-to-day
- Justin Sourdif (Undisclosed) Out [IR]
Projected Lineups
Buffalo Sabres
Forwards (Projected)
Zach Benson – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch
Jiri Kulich – Dylan Cozens – Jack Quinn
Jason Zucker – Ryan McLeod – Jordan Greenway
Beck Malenstyn – Peyton Krebs – Sam Lafferty
Defense (Projected)
Rasmus Dahlin – Henri Jokiharju
Owen Power – Bowen Byram
Mattias Samuelsson – Connor Clifton
Goalies
Devon Levi (Confirmed)
Florida Panthers
Forwards (Projected)
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Evan Rodrigues
A.J. Greer – Jesper Boqvist – Mackie Samoskevich
Jonah Gadjovich – Patrick Giles
Defense (Projected)
Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Dmitry Kulikov
Uvis Balinskis – Adam Boqvist
Nate Schmidt
Goalies
Spencer Knight (Confirmed)
Source: Jameson Olive, Florida Panthers
Betting Breakdown
With Barkov and Tkachuk out, the sportsbooks have the Panthers listed at -135, an implied 57.45% chance of beating the Sabres tonight. Florida is slightly more favored to win by PuckLuck, which lists them at nearly 59%. The edge isn’t large enough to warrant a bet suggestion unless you’re wildly unimpressed with Buffalo’s start and not a big believer in their chances to sort things out.
There is a betting edge on the over at plus-money, however. Levi was really good in net in his one start but was peppered with shots and chances. If he comes back down to earth a bit and the Sabres can finish their scoring chances, the regression suggests a higher-scoring affair.
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