Red Wings at Sabres
The Detroit Red Wings should be an angry team as they begin a three-game road trip against Atlantic Division rivals Tuesday night when they meet the improving Buffalo Sabres. The Red Wings are winless in four games (0-3-1) since starting the season with four victories in the first five contests, managing only 21 shots in a 4-1 setback against Vancouver at home Sunday.
“It was a brutal effort. I thought it was an embarrassing effort, not even close to the level of competitiveness you have to have,” Detroit coach Jeff Blashill told reporters after the latest loss. “We should be embarrassed of ourselves, from me at the top all the way down. We got outcompeted, outworked, out detailed.” The Red Wings will try to turn things around against the Sabres, who have gone 2-1-1 in their last four games after starting the campaign with five consecutive losses (0-4-1). Buffalo rallied for a 5-4 overtime victory at Boston on Saturday as Evander Kane registered his team-leading sixth goal and Ryan O’Reilly scored in the extra session. “I give our guys a lot of credit because they’ve been through a lot in just a short period of time,” Sabres first-year coach Phil Housley told the Buffalo News. “It’s one game. … I feel great for the guys in the locker room, and hopefully they’ll get some confidence from this.”
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBCSN
ABOUT THE RED WINGS (4-4-1): Right wing Anthony Mantha had the only goal Sunday - his first in four games - to tie captain Henrik Zetterberg for the team lead at four while the power play continued to struggle. Detroit is 1-for-16 with the man advantage over the last five games and forced only one opportunity versus Vancouver after getting five against Washington two days earlier. Defenseman Mike Green tops the team in assists (10) and points (11) while forward Martin Frk is pointless in the last five contests after recording four in the first four games of the season.
ABOUT THE SABRES (2-5-2): Buffalo will need more depth in the scoring department as Kane (six), Jason Pominville (five), Jack Eichel (four) and O’Reilly (three) have 72 percent of the goals in the first nine contests. Forwards Kyle Okposo and Matt Moulson, along with defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, have yet to record a goal while Benoit Pouliot scored his first in Saturday’s victory. Forward Zemgus Girgensons (foot), who has missed the last two contests after blocking a shot in Vegas, and defenseman Nathan Beaulieu (upper-body) are questionable for Tuesday’s contest.
OVERTIME
1. Ristolainen tops all NHL players in ice time per game (27:27) and is among the league leaders with 30 hits.
2. Detroit F Scott Wilson, who was acquired from Pittsburgh on Saturday, played 9:28 and did not have a shot in his debut Sunday.
3. The Sabres earned at least a point in four meetings with the Red Wings last season (3-0-1).