This afternoon, the Detroit Red Wings (4-3-0) will pay a visit to the Buffalo Sabres (3-4-1) for a matinee at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. The Red Wings skate into the afternoon contest seeking to extend their present win streak to four games, while Buffalo is looking to build its own nascent winning run to three consecutive games.
Alex Lyon will return to the net, getting the start in goal for Detroit, though the Red Wings may be forced into another 11 forward and seven defensemen lineup, should J.T. Compher prove unable to go come game time.
One story to watch heading into the game is the matchup between the Detroit penalty kill and Sabres power play. The Red Wings PK needs to get better in a hurry, presently operating at a 62.5% success rate, having given up nine power play goals (second highest mark in the league). Buffalo’s power play, meanwhile, is still looking for its first goal of the season at 0-22. Something’s gotta give this afternoon, and one team can get a confidence boost while the other will be left with soul searching to do.
Finally, this afternoon’s game (a 1 PM scheduled puck drop) will be broadcast on its new standard home of FanDuel Sports Network Detroit for in market fans, while out-of-towners will be able to catch the game via streaming on Hulu and ESPN+.
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