Buffalo Sabres
JJ Peterka Set to Return from Injury as Sabres Face Penguins
Since returning from Prague, the Buffalo Sabres have vastly improved their overall play. They only have one win to show for it, but Saturday’s victory over the Florida Panthers could be a sign of things heading in the right direction. The Sabres will receive an injury reinforcement Wednesday versus the Pittsburgh Penguins, with forward JJ Peterka ready to return from his concussion.
The Penguins have two wins and two losses to begin the year, with up-and-down play leaving fans scratching their heads about the team. They lost 6-0 to the New York Rangers, won 6-3 over the Detroit Red Wings, lost 4-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and defeated the Montreal Canadiens 6-3 on Monday.
Where to Watch
Gametime: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: PPG Paints Arena (Pittsburgh, PA)
TV: TNT, truTV
Stream: MAX
Radio: WGR550
Sabres Gameday
Getting Peterka back from a concussion should provide a huge boost to the offense. He started the season on the top line with Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch – a trio expected to carry the five-on-five production throughout the season. Zach Benson was getting some run with Thompson and Tuch in practice on Monday, meaning Peterka could slot in with familiar linemates Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn instead in Pittsburgh.
Inserting Peterka back in the lineup means top prospect Jiri Kulich will likely be the one coming out of it. Kulich rebounded with a solid game Saturday, showing a raised level of confidence carrying the puck and making plays. With Nicolas Aube-Kubel out week-to-week, Kulich should stick around at least a little longer to practice with the Sabres and be ready to fill in as needed.
The goalie rotation continues, as Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will get the start against the Penguins, per Joe Yerdon of Noted Hockey. Luukkonen has turned in two somewhat average performances in his first two starts. With Devon Levi likely starting tomorrow in Columbus, the Finnish netminder will look to show he can be the stalwart in the crease he was throughout the second half of last season.
More Sabres:Â A Fight Breaks Out at Sabres Practice
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins have been all over the place to start the season. Joel Blomqvist, the team’s third goaltender heading into the season, has already received two starts. Incumbent starter Tristan Jarry will retain his role between the pipes on Wednesday versus the Sabres after backstopping the Penguins to victory on Monday.
Along with the goaltending, the defense has been pedestrian. The Penguins have given up four goals per game – a mark only topped by the Colorado Avalanche and Edmonton Oilers. The questions revolve around aging stars Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang, who must keep up with Buffalo’s speed and deal with their aggressive forecheck.
One aging Penguins star has been impressive at the beginning of the season. Evgeni Malkin has seven points in four games, the second-most of any player to this point in the season. A hot Malkin creates matchup problems for the Sabres, as they still have to shut down the top line featuring Sidney Crosby.
Injury Report
Buffalo Sabres
- Nicolas Aube-Kubel (Lower Body) 3-6 weeks [IR]
More Injuries:Â Key Injuries to Three Players Make Sabres Start Even Worse
Florida Panthers
- Alex Nedeljkovic (Lower Body) Day-to-day [IR]
- Blake Lizotte (Concussion) Out [IR]
- Vasiliy Ponomarev (Upper Body) Out [IR]
- Matt Nieto (Knee) Out [IR]
Projected Lineups
Buffalo Sabres
Forwards (Projected)
Zach Benson – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch
JJ Peterka – 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 (Confirmed)
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Source: Joe Yerdon, Noted Hockey
Pittsburgh Penguins
Forwards (Confirmed)
Anthony Beauvillier – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Michael Bunting – Evgeni Malkin – Rickard Rakell
Drew O’Connor – Lars Eller – Jesse Puljujarvi
Kevin Hayes – Cody Glass – Noel Acciari
Defense (Confirmed)
Matt Grzelcyk – Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson – Erik Karlsson
Ryan Graves – Jack St. Ivany
Goalies (Confirmed)
Tristan Jarry
Source: Matt Vensel, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Betting Breakdown
We’ve capitalized on strong betting edges over the last two games, but sometimes the edge isn’t there when the PuckLuck projections and the sportsbooks are fairly close. This is the case today, as the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins are projected similarly by both entities.
Pittsburgh, if anything, has the slightest of edges, as PuckLuck has them at a 56% chance of winning. The sportsbooks imply about a 55% chance of the Penguins defeating the Sabres. With projected goals close to the 6.5 mark set at the sportsbooks, the Penguins moneyline, as of 12:30 Eastern Time, is the best bet.
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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.*
For the Pittsburgh point of view, head over to Pittsburgh Hockey Now.
