The 42-18-8 Vancouver Canucks face off against the 33-31-5 Buffalo Sabres at Rogers Arena on Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+, SNP and MSG-B.
Buffalo won 6-2 against the Seattle Kraken in its last game on Sunday, whereas Vancouver faced a narrow 2-1 home loss to the Washington Capitals on the same day.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Vancouver Canucks: Game Preview
The Sabres average 2.97 per game and concede 2.94 goals per game. Their power-play success rate is 16.9%.
Jeff Skinner leads the team with 24 goals and 21 assists, while Rasmus Dahlin has contributed 15 goals and 35 assists. Alex Tuch has 17 goals and 25 assists, while JJ Peterka has 21 goals and 20 assists.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen boasts a record of 23-17-3 in goal, with a 2.39 goals-against average and a save percentage of .915.
Meanwhile, the Canucks average 3.50 goals per game while allowing 2.68 goals. Their power-play success rate is 22.6%.
Brock Boeser leads the Canucks with 36 goals and 30 assists, while J.T. Miller has contributed 33 goals and 54 assists. Elias Lindholm has 13 goals and 26 assists. Elias Pettersson contributed 31 goals and 48 assists, while Quinn Hughes has 64 assists.
Moreover, Thatcher Demko boasts a 34-13-2 record in goal, with a 2.47 goals-against average and a save percentage of .917.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Vancouver Canucks: Head-to-head and significant numbers
- The two teams have clashed 136 times.
- The Sabres are 59-58-19 against the Canucks.
- In faceoffs, the Canucks have a 51.6% win rate, while the Sabres have a 46.1%
- On penalty kills, the Canucks have a 78.6% success rate, while the Sabres are at 79.1%.
Buffalo Sabres vs Vancouver Canucks: Odds and prediction
This season, Vancouver has won 27 of 43 games as the betting favorite and 10 of 14 games with odds less than -199, giving it a 66.6% chance of winning this game.
Conversely, the Sabres have been listed as the underdog 43 times this season and have upset their opponents 18 times. The Sabres won five of their eight games with odds of +164 or longer, giving them a 37.8% chance to win tonight.
Prediction: Canucks 3 - 2 Sabres
Buffalo Sabres vs. Vancouver Canucks: Betting tips
Tip 1: Result: Canucks to win
Tip 2: Total goals over 4.5: Yes
Tip 3: Elias Pettersson to score anytime: Yes
Tip 4: Tage Thompson to score first: Yes
Tip 5: Sabres to beat the spread: Yes