Red Wings at Sabres
Goals both for and against have been scarce for the Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres heading into Friday's game at the First Niagara Center. Detroit has mustered just 20 tallies during a 5-5-1 stretch and permitted only 11 in its last seven overall while Buffalo has scored 23 times in the last 12 games and yielded 12 goals in its last six (4-2-0).
Tomas Tatar's availability is in question as he deals with an illness, but the 25-year-old certainly has gotten healthy when facing the Sabres. Tatar, who sat out Wednesday's 2-1 setback to St. Louis on Wednesday, scored and set up a goal in the Red Wings' 4-3 win over Buffalo on Jan. 2 and has seven tallies and two assists in his last seven encounters with the Sabres. Buffalo defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen has three assists in his last three games overall and notched three of his five this season against Detroit in a 5-4 setback on Dec. 1. Rookie Jack Eichel has tallied twice in three encounters with the Red Wings and had an assist in a 2-1 setback to Colorado on Wednesday for his 16th point in his last 15 contests.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, MSG-B (Buffalo)
ABOUT THE RED WINGS (23-15-8): Captain Henrik Zetterberg, who scored his team's lone goal versus the Blues, was reunited with fellow forwards Justin Abdelkader and rookie Dylan Larkin on a line in Thursday's practice. "We wanted to see it today in practice, so I'm not saying it’s 100 percent," coach Jeff Blashill told the team's website. "... Obviously, the time they spent together as a line they had a lot of success and it’s a line we think can be real productive." Abdelkader scored two goals and set up another in three meetings with Buffalo while Gustav Nyquist and veteran defenseman Mike Green have also registered three points versus the Sabres - all assists.
ABOUT THE SABRES (19-24-4): Evander Kane scored his team's lone goal on Wednesday for his fifth point (two goals, three assists) in six outings. The 24-year-old tallied twice in a 5-4 shootout loss to Detroit on Dec. 1, but has been kept in check in the ensuing two other meetings. Robin Lehner, who may get the nod on Friday, has suffered a pair of hard-luck losses after turning aside 60-of-65 shots since returning from a high-ankle sprain in the season opener.
OVERTIME
1. Veteran Brad Richards will miss Friday's contest as he will join his family in attending the funeral of his grandfather. Richards is expected to return for Saturday's home game against Anaheim.
2. Buffalo is 4-for-10 on the power play in the last three games.
3. Detroit G Petr Mrazek will get the nod on Friday, but Blashill told the team website that he hasn't decided on his starting goaltender for Saturday's tilt.