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Preview and GDT: Winnipeg Jets @ Buffalo Sabres

Time: 6:00 PM CST

Channel: TSN3, MSG-B

Radio: TSN1290

The Buffalo Sabres (10-23-9) will be looking to return the favour to the Winnipeg Jets (25-11-7) on Tuesday night, as they seek to avenge their 4-3 loss at Bell MTS Place on Friday.

I could almost copy paste my preview from last game in this spot, but that would be wrong. So here we are.

Once again, this is a game against an opponent that has not done well to this point ni the season. Points in October are worth as much as points ni April, and the same thing goes for points in January. Despite playing on the road tonight, Winnipeg is still favoured to win this one and every point puts them closer to obtaining a second playoff berth since moving from Atlanta.

The Jets have been in good form, with 11 points out of their last possible 12. The win on Sunday against San Jose, by a 4-1 score, was an excellent performance against a good team before heading out on this four game road trip.

The Sabres have not been in good form. Quite bad, actually. They have four points out of their last possible 14. They have scored 92 goals in their 42 games this season, which is worst in the NHL. Their 143 goals against are third worst. Their power play is second worst. It’s a bit of a mess, really. Jack Eichel seems to be on course to become the next John Tavares or Nathan MacKinnon: a really good player no a really bad team.

Yech.

Meanwhile, Winnipeg once again made some roster moves, and Brendan Lemieux is joining the club for their road trip. The road trip is a bit of a weird one. The Jets play tonight in Buffalo, then play back-to-back in Chicago and Minnesota on Friday and Saturday…then get a week off before playing back-to-back with a road game in Calgary and a home game against Vancouver.

The week off should be a welcome sight for guys like Adam Lowry and Brandon Tanev, both of whom are on the shelf. I would assume guys like Lemieux and Jack Roslovic get sent down for that week, as the Manitoba Moose have game on the 14th and 19th.

Will Buffalo have better luck at home?

Will Winnipeg channel their inner Jacksonville Jaguars and also beat Buffalo?

Tune in this evening! Same Jets time (6:00 PM CST), Same Jets channel (TSN 3)!

Winnipeg Jets: 25-11-7

Stat Leaders:

Goals: Patrik Laine (18)

Assists: Blake Wheeler (36)

Points: Wheeler (50)

Goalie Stat Leaders: 

Wins: Connor Hellebuyck (23)

Goals Against Average: Hellebuyck (2.36)

Save Percentage: Hellebuyck (.923)

Minutes: Hellebuyck (2,034)

Special Teams: PP 25.0% (2nd), PK 81.5% (13th)

Buffalo Sabres: 10-23-9

Stat Leaders:

Goals: Evander Kane (16)

Assists: Jack Eichel (21)

Points: Eichel (36)

Goalie Stat Leaders: 

Wins: Robin Lehner (9)

Goals Against Average: Lehner (2.87)

Save Percentage: Lehner (.911)

Minutes: Lehner (1,757)

Special Teams: PP 12.4% (31st), PK 79.8% (22nd)

Winnipeg Jets 

FORWARDS

81 Kyle Connor/ 26 Blake Wheeler  / 29 Patrik Laine

85 Mathieu Perreault/ 18 Bryan Little/ 27 Nikolaj Ehlers 

9 Andrew Copp/52 Jack Roslovic / 40 Joel Armia

16 Shawn Matthias/ 15 Matt Hendricks/ 56 Marko Dano

DEFENCE

44 Josh Morrissey/ 8 Jacob Trouba

39 Toby Enstrom/ 33 Dustin Byfuglien

5 Dmitry Kulikov/ 57 Tyler Myers

STARTING GOALIE

35 Steve Mason

Riding the pine: 37 Connor Hellebuyck

Scratched:  48 Brendan Lemieux, 7 Ben Chiarot

Injured: 55 Mark Scheifele (upper body, 6-8 weeks), 13 Brandon Tanev (lower body, 2-3 weeks), 17 Adam Lowry

Buffalo Sabres

FORWARDS

28 Zemgus Girgensons — 15 Jack Eichel — 21 Kyle Okposo

9 Evander Kane — 90 Ryan O’Reilly — 29 Jason Pominville

20 Scott Wilson — 71 Evan Rodrigues — 23 Sam Reinhart

22 Johan Larsson — 10 Jacob Josefson — 17 Jordan Nolan

DEFENCE

6 Marco Scandella — 55 Rasmus Ristolainen

82 Nathan Beaulieu — 47 Zach Bogosian

45 Brendan Guhle — 19 Jake McCabe

STARTING GOALIE

40 Robin Lehner

Riding the pine: 31 Chad Johnson

Scratched: 67 Benoit Pouliot, 4 Josh Gorges, 41 Justin Falk, 35 Linus Ullmark

Injured: 93 Victor Antipin (day-to-day, illness), 27 Taylor Fedun (lower-body, 6-8 weeks from November 16)

Something has to give here, because by my math they have 24 people on the 23-man roster.

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