Buffalo Sabres Continue California Road Trip with Matchup Against Anaheim Ducks

ANAHEIM – The Buffalo Sabres are set to continue their California road trip with a fixture against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on Friday. This comes after the Sabres secured a 1-0 victory against the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday. The Friday game opens a back-to-back sequence, with the final game of the road trip scheduled in San Jose on Saturday.

The puck is expected to drop at 10 p.m. for the contest. Fans in the Buffalo broadcast market can catch the action on MSG, with pregame coverage beginning at 9:30 p.m. For those out of the market, the game will be available on ESPN+, while radio listeners can tune into WGR 550.

Buffalo will enter the match with the same lineup that clinched victory in Los Angeles, with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in goal. The team will once again be without leading scorer Tage Thompson, who is missing his fourth consecutive game due to a lower-body injury. However, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff indicated that Thompson could return for the forthcoming game in San Jose, expressing, “I’m hopeful. There’s a good opportunity, but no guarantee.”

In their last outing, Luukkonen made 23 saves, achieving his first shutout of the season, while Buffalo’s special teams performed admirably. The Sabres went 5-for-5 on the penalty kill and extended their power-play streak as Jason Zucker scored in the third period to secure the win. Coach Ruff noted the importance of such results for team growth, stating, “That’s part of the growth is you’ve got to get comfortable in a game like that where it’s tight.”

Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin contributed to the recent success, extending his point streak to seven games by assisting on the power-play goal against Los Angeles. Dahlin’s performance has been notable this season, with a total of 17 points, placing him among the league’s top defensemen.

The Anaheim Ducks are approaching the game with momentum, having won three consecutive games. Their latest victory was a 3-2 comeback in Chicago, where Alex Killorn extended his point streak by scoring and assisting on Leo Carlsson’s game-winning goal. Carlsson, a promising talent from the 2023 NHL Draft, is tied for the team lead in goals with six.

The Sabres are on a promising run, currently sitting ninth in the Eastern Conference standings and close to claiming the eighth playoff spot held by the Boston Bruins. A win over the Ducks could move the Sabres back into the postseason picture.

A key player for Buffalo in recent games has been goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who has been instrumental by posting a .956 save percentage over a series of games. In contrast, the Ducks have relied heavily on 24-year-old goaltender Lukas Dostal for their successes, although John Gibson is expected to start against Buffalo.

Both teams bring evenly matched records, but the Sabres appear ready to capitalize on their successful streak and secure critical standings points as the regular season progresses.