Sabres at Oilers
The Buffalo Sabres were one of the biggest surprises in the NHL the first two-plus months of the season, but are suddenly sitting outside of playoff position as they begin a three-game Western Canada trip against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night. The Sabres fell to 2-5-1 after coughing up three unanswered goals in the third period of a 5-3 setback against league-best Tampa Bay on Saturday.
“Sure, there’s frustration,” Buffalo top-line wing Sam Reinhart told reporters after scoring his 10th goal Saturday. “But we’re right there. There’s no time to dwell on it. We’re right in the hunt. That’s where we wanted to be at the start of the year.” The Sabres, who will have an 11-day break after the trip, have won four in a row against the Oilers -- including a 5-0 victory at Edmonton last season, and are 9-2-1 against Pacific Division foes in 2018-19. The Oilers are battling for a playoff position in the Western Conference despite a 3-9-0 stretch, including a 3-2 loss to Arizona on Saturday, with two-time reigning Art Ross Trophy winner Connor McDavid (67 points) leading the way. “It seems to be the story of the last few games, but at this point there are no more excuses,” Edmonton goalie Cam Talbot told reporters. “We have to be better. We can’t allow those bounces to beat us every night.”
TV: 9 p.m ET, TVA, MSG Buffalo, Sportsnet West (Edmonton)
ABOUT THE SABRES (23-16-6): Captain Jack Eichel registered eight shots on goal in Saturday’s loss, but is stuck on a team-high 49 points during a four-game drought - sandwiching a three-game injury absence. Jeff Skinner boasts a team-high 30 goals, including four in five games this month, while Reinhart has four points in the same span after scoring on his only shot Saturday. Veteran goalie Carter Hutton, who was rested on Saturday in favor of backup Linus Ullmark, must snap out of a rough stretch in which he has won in just two of his last 11 appearances.
ABOUT THE OILERS (21-21-3): McDavid turned 22 on Sunday and boasts 323 career points, sixth-most in NHL history before that birthday behind only Wayne Gretzky (640), Dale Hawerchuk (423), Sidney Crosby (397), Mario Lemieux (348) and Jimmy Carson (325). The key for Edmonton will be supporting him and fellow All-Star Leon Draisaitl (23 goals, 54 points), who managed two shots combined the last three games. Talbot has started four straight contests, going 2-2-0 with a .913 save percentage, while Mikko Koskinen gave up six goals on 27 shots in his last two appearances.
OVERTIME
1. Edmonton D Darnell Nurse recorded a goal and three assists in his last four contests to push his season total to 22 points.
2. Buffalo rookie D Rasmus Dahlin posted four assists in the last three games with a plus-2 rating.
3. The Oilers are 1-of-13 with the man advantage over the last six games and surrendered three power-play tallies in seven tries over the past three.