Buffalo Sabres at Phoenix Coyotes
The Buffalo Sabres have just one win in their last eight games and are 4-6-5 since the Christmas break, a win rate of just 26.7-percent. For the first time all year, it’s not the goal scoring that is the problem, it’s keeping the puck out of their own net: Buffalo is averaging over 3.6 goals against per game in their last eight games despite being at just 2.85 for the season. Ryan Miller hasn’t been bad, per se, but he’s not been the all-world talent that he had been for most of the season and he needs to be if Buffalo hopes to win hockey games.
The Phoenix offense has kicked to life the last few games, putting away 11 goals in their last three games. In their last seven games, the Coyotes are 4-2-1 and a lot of that has to do with special teams: in those seven games, the Coyotes have scored six power play goals and allowed just three against (89.3-percent efficiency). The volume of penalties can be a problem – they averaging four power plays against a game over those seven games – but it shouldn’t be against Buffalo.
Despite Buffalo’s penchant for scoring of late, I don’t know if they have much of a chance in this game. Not that Phoenix is anything special, but they have been playing better hockey of late and the Sabres are just 1-5 on the road against the Western Conference this year (their only win coming in a shootout). Miller is good enough that Phoenix shouldn’t pile on tonight, but this screams “4-1 Phoenix” to me.
Just an observation: Oliver Ekman-Larsson has been playing All-World hockey the last couple of weeks and he even had a couple of goals the last time out. This season, he has tended to score in bunches so I’ll have him quite a bit in my lineups tonight.
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Top RW Value |
Top LW Value |
Top C Value |
Top D Value |
Bargain Bin |
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Shane Doan |
Mikke Boedker |
Mike Ribeiro |
Oliver Ekman-Larsson |
Ville Leino |
