Red Wings at Sabres
Johan Franzen is expected to return to the ice Sunday as the Detroit Red Wings begin a three-game road trip against the skidding Buffalo Sabres. Franzen has been sidelined for six games with a lower-body injury, but defenseman Kyle Quincey is likely to miss the contest after suffering an ankle ailment in Detroit's 5-2 triumph over Los Angeles on Friday. "Like we talk about all the time, you never seem to have all hands on deck totally," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock told the Detroit Free Press. "Getting 'Mule' back to help us is important."
While Detroit has won two in a row and is 5-1-1 in its last seven, Buffalo was blanked for the fifth time this season and second in three games with a 5-0 loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday. Sabres coach Ted Nolan wasn't shy about taking issue with his team's latest poor performance. "When you don't work and you don't fight and you don't compete and you don't battle, that's what's going to happen," Nolan said of the lopsided result.
TV: 5 p.m. ET, TVA, FSN Detroit, MSG (Buffalo)
ABOUT THE RED WINGS (6-2-2): While Buffalo is struggling mightily to make a dent in the scoreboard, Pavel Datsyuk is riding a five-game point streak since returning from a separated shoulder. The electric Russian scored for the third straight contest on Friday and has collected four goals and as many assists in 2014-15. Datsyuk scored a pair of goals in Detroit's four-game sweep of the Sabres last season and has netted eight tallies and set up eight more in 16 career meetings with Buffalo.
ABOUT THE SABRES (2-9-1): Defenseman Mike Weber is imploring his team to toughen up in an attempt to stop its losing ways. "Whether it's been on the road or at home, we somehow have to find an identity to get nasty, get angry," he said. "There's not enough anger, there's not enough intensity throughout the game." Michal Neuvirth, who is expected to get the nod on Sunday, has yielded at least three goals in three of his four contests this season and owns a 1-1-1 career mark versus Detroit.
OVERTIME
1. Detroit C Gustav Nyquist has recorded three goals and an assist in his last two contests after being held off the scoresheet in each of his previous four games.
2. Buffalo failed on all four power-play opportunities Saturday to drop to 1-for-38 on the season.
3. Red Wings D Brian Lashoff likely will make his season debut should Quincey be reduced to the role of a spectator.