Rangers vs. Sabres preview: A game they really need to win
By Steve Paulus
About the Sabres
The Sabres season is rapidly becoming a mess…again. They entered the season full of their usual optimism having signed Taylor Hall to a one year contract and trading for Eric Staal. Instead, they got off to a .500 start with a 4-4-2 record in their first 10 games, then they were waylaid by COVID.
They were idle for 14 days and since returning to action, they have gone 2-6-1 with their only wins against the Devils. Their tailspin has revived the Jack Eichel trade rumors and also put heavy pressure on coach Ralph Kruger who was the only holdover from the management team last season. With a new front office, Kruger’s leash must be a short one.
The Sabres are getting good production from their top four forwards, Victor Olofsson, Sam Reinhart, Hall and Eichel, but they are sorely lacking in depth scoring. Jeff Skinner has one assist in 16 games and at $9 million a year, he may be the most overpaid player in the NHL. And that deal doesn’t expire until 2026-27.
The one thing that is working for the Sabres is their power play. They have a 31.1% success rate, third best in the NHL with 19 goals on 61 power plays. Olofsson and Reinhart are deadly on the power play with six and five goals respectively. Eichel has eight PP assists, more assists than any Ranger at any strength except Panarin.
The scary number for the Sabres is 45%. That the percentage of goals scored by the Sabres on the power play. Yes, almost half of their goals have come with the man advantage. That’s the most in the NHL by far. They have not scored on the power play in six games and lost them all.
The Sabres penalty kill is 15th overall, smack in the middle of the NHL at 79.5%. They have been shorthanded only 44 times this season, fewest of any team in the NHL.
The Sabres have scored first in only seven games this season (compared to eight for the Rangers) with a record of 4-1-2. They have won only twice in the 12 games the opposition has scored first.
The Sabres are coming off two straight shutouts. The last time they were shut out in three consecutive games was March 9-14, 2019.
The Sabres won their last game at Madison Square Garden in February 2020 and if they win tonight it will be the first back-to-back wins at the Garden since the 2016-17 season.