The Buffalo Sabres will play the Seattle Kraken at KeyBank Center on March 28 as they attempt to end a three-game winless streak. The Sabres recently lost 5-2 to the Detroit Red Wings, marking their first regulation defeat in over two weeks. Early penalties and falling behind have been ongoing issues for the team during this stretch.
Despite recent setbacks, the Sabres remain in a strong position with 96 points and a magic number of 11 needed to secure a playoff spot. The game against Seattle is seen as an important opportunity for the team to regain momentum. Captain Rasmus Dahlin said, “Tomorrow is going to show what type of team we are. We have to show ourselves that we’ve got to dig ourselves out of this. This is unacceptable.”
Coach Lindy Ruff confirmed that forward Noah Ostlund will miss another game due to an upper-body injury but has continued skating and may need more time before returning. Tyson Kozak will take his place in the lineup. Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will start; he has posted a .923 save percentage over his last eleven games.
The Sabres have not lost consecutive games in regulation since early December and hold a record of seven wins, one loss, and three overtime losses in second games of back-to-back sets this season. Tage Thompson currently has 37 goals for the season, while Dahlin is close to moving up on the franchise’s all-time assists list.
The Kraken enter Saturday’s matchup three points behind Nashville for the final Western Conference wild card spot with one game in hand. They ended their own four-game winless run by defeating Tampa Bay in overtime Thursday, led by Brandon Montour’s two goals including the winner.
