Avalanche at Sabres
Both the Colorado Avalanche and Buffalo Sabres have struggled offensively all season, a big reason why both squads sit in last place in their respective divisions. The Sabres host the Avalanche on Saturday looking to rebound from a 5-1 loss Tuesday at Winnipeg, which snapped a four-game winning streak. Colorado comes in having lost six of seven in December, including back-to-back overtime defeats to St. Louis and Pittsburgh.
Filling in for Semyon Varlamov (groin), Calvin Pickard has done his part to keep the Avalanche competitive. The 22-year-old has recorded 86 saves in the past two contests – including 47 in Thursday’s 1-0 loss to the Penguins – but the Colorado offense is 11th in the Western Conference in scoring at 2.4 goals per game. The Sabres showed signs of an offensive resurgence with 14 tallies during their winning streak, but remain last in the NHL in scoring with 57 goals in 32 games.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ALT2 (Colorado), MSG-B (Buffalo)
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (10-13-8): Colorado coach Patrick Roy knows his team must produce on offense to be successful, no matter how well Pickard plays in goal. “They know they have to generate more offense, and we have to be better around their net,” Roy said of an offense that has just five goals in its past four contests. Defenseman Brad Stuart returned from a groin injury to log 20:34 of ice time against Pittsburgh in his 1,000th career appearance.
ABOUT THE SABRES (13-17-2): Buffalo has won 10 of its past 14 since a dreadful start, but playing for the fourth time in six days at Winnipeg – one night after a 5-4 shootout victory at Ottawa – appeared to catch up to the Sabres. “You can see how fresh we were on the ice,” Buffalo coach Ted Nolan said after Thursday’s practice. Center Cody Hodgson, the team’s leading scorer last season, has just two goals and was benched for the final 28 minutes against the Jets.
OVERTIME
1. Pickard fell three saves shy of the franchise record for saves by a rookie, set by Quebec’s Clint Malarchuk in 1983.
2. Buffalo D Josh Gorges is expected to return Saturday after missing the past two games with a finger injury.
3. The Sabres plan to recall a forward for Saturday as Cs Cody McCormick and Torrey Mitchell continue battling injuries.