Detroit Red Wings are set to complete their four-game homestand with a matchup against the Buffalo Sabres at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday night. The Red Wings, who currently hold a 10-7-0 record and 20 points, aim to split the homestand after recently defeating the Anaheim Ducks 6-3, ending a three-game losing streak.
Simon Edvinsson emphasized the importance of capitalizing on home games, stating, “We have a lot of home games right now. We really have to take care of all the home games we have left.”
The game will begin at 7 p.m., with coverage available on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit and the Red Wings Radio Network (97.1 The Ticket in Detroit). Following this contest, Detroit will travel for an Original Six meeting against the New York Rangers on Sunday at Madison Square Garden.
A key factor in Thursday’s win over Anaheim was Detroit’s power play performance, scoring twice out of four opportunities. This marked only the second time this season that the team has scored multiple power play goals in a single game.
Looking ahead to Saturday’s game, Ben Chiarot said Detroit wants to bring "a similiar effort to what we did against Anaheim" into Saturday's homestand finale. He added: "Strong defensively. Gritty effort getting into their goalie's eyes and getting in front of the net."
After an optional morning skate on Saturday, head coach Todd McLellan confirmed John Gibson would start in goal but indicated lineup decisions would depend on player health updates. “We'll get an update on some bumps and bruises, but the plan right now is to stay with the same lineup [from Thursday's game],” McLellan said. “We'll make decisions based on that.”
Buffalo enters the contest sitting eighth in the Atlantic Division with a 5-8-4 record and 14 points. The Sabres are currently experiencing a five-game winless streak and recently lost 6-3 to the Colorado Avalanche. On the road this season, Buffalo has yet to secure a victory with an 0-5-2 record away from KeyBank Center.
Offensively, Alex Tuch leads Buffalo with 15 points (six goals, nine assists), followed by Tage Thompson with 14 points (seven goals, seven assists), and Josh Doan with 10 points (four goals, six assists). Their goaltending trio—Alex Lyon, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, and Colten Ellis—have combined for a goals-against average of 3.05 and a save percentage of .900.
Chiarot noted Buffalo’s offensive strengths: "They have a lot of good offensive players," he said. "They like to take off offensively and try to get in behind the defense. Always a challenge with these guys it seems, so being sharp defensively and not letting guys behind us. Keep them off the power play. They have a pretty dangerous power play as well, so lots of different things to be aware of."
Detroit previously faced Buffalo this season on October 22nd in Buffalo where they were defeated 4-2.
Reflecting on that previous encounter, McLellan said: “They gave us a tough night in Buffalo. They’re fighting some injuries and missing some key performers…They have some effective players there that can certainly make you pay offensively. We always have our hands full with them. They’re a good hockey club and we better be ready to play.”
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