Sabres at Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes avoided another long winless drought to start a season last time out and will attempt to even their record through four games when they host the improving Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night. The Coyotes, who went 0-10-1 to open 2017-18, were shut out in their first two contests before pulling out a 3-2 shootout victory Wednesday at Anaheim with 23 saves from Antti Raanta.
“I think (the first win) relieves a little bit of pressure,” Arizona coach Rick Tocchet told reporters Thursday. “I thought we did some good (things), but a little loose too. We’re going to enjoy the win. We have some work to do but there was a lot of chances on both teams, especially early on.” The Coyotes have dropped five of the last seven contests in the series, including a 5-4 setback in Arizona last November, and the Sabres will come in angry after a 6-1 loss at home to Colorado on Thursday. Buffalo won two of the first three games this season at home before veteran forward Kyle Okposo told reporters a “sloppy” practice Wednesday led to a lackluster effort against the Avalanche. “How you prepare is important,” Sabres coach Phil Housley told the media afterward. “We still have a team that’s learning to win. If there’s anything we can take out of it, it’s that we can’t take anything for granted and everybody has got to be pulling on the rope each and every day.”
TV: 9 p.m. ET, MSG Buffalo, FS Arizona
ABOUT THE SABRES (2-2-0): Defenseman Nathan Beaulieu scored Thursday and captain Jack Eichel, who leads the team with four points (three goals), matched a game high with five shots. Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (two assists) is second behind Eichel (17) with 12 shots in the first four games while Beaulieu and center Evan Rodrigues are the only players with plus-ratings - both at plus-1. Offseason free-agent signing Carter Hutton has started in net all four contests, registering a .912 save percentage, and backup Linus Ullmark is expected to play at some point on this five-game trip.
ABOUT THE COYOTES (1-2-0): Forwards Brad Richardson and Dylan Strome scored Wednesday and the penalty kill remained spotless (7-for-7) by blanking Anaheim on three opportunities. Center Derek Stepan has not posted a point, despite leading the team with 15 shots, but became the first non-first round pick in 2008 to play 600 NHL games after Wednesday’s contest. Arizona is still without top-nine forwards Alex Galchenyuk (groin) and Christian Dvorak (back), along with defenseman Jakob Chychrun (knee), and has yet to score an even-strength goal with one on the power play and one short-handed.
OVERTIME
1. Buffalo F Jason Pominville needs three points to reach 700 in his career and is nine games from 1,000.
2. Raanta, who had a career-high 21 wins in 2017-18, has turned aside 64 of 70 shots while playing in all three games.
3. The Sabres were 3-for-15 on the power play and 7-for-10 on the penalty kill during their season-opening homestand.