Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – The Buffalo Sabres got Kyle Okposo and Alex Tuch back on the ice Tuesday from the NHL's COVID-19 protocols. Neither will play against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but if they feel OK, both will play Thursday night in Nashville against the Predators.
The Sabres have called up Jack Quinn and Brett Murray to play against the Lightning, because Tage Thompson and Peyton Krebs are still in protocols. Jacob Bryson will return to the lineup, while Robert Hagg hopes to play Thursday.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will play his eighth game out of 10 on Tuesday. Things haven’t gone quite as well for him in his last three starts, giving up 11 goals. Overall, he’s 2-4-2 this season with a 2.61 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage.
Rasmus Dahlin has been on a bit of a hot streak lately. In his last seven games, he has three goals and four assists for seven points.
Tampa Bay comes into the game with the NHL’s fifth-best point percentage at .689. In the Atlantic Division, the Lightning are tied with the Florida Panthers at 51 points. Despite the fact that the Lightning are the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, Sabres head coach Don Granato enjoys playing them.
“I’m excited to play them tonight," he said after the morning skate on Tuesday. "I mean, I get more excited to play top teams, and we’re trying to get our guys to embrace that and they have."
Granato knows the high-end talent Tampa Bay shows up with. He still isn’t afraid of them.
“I do like the way we matchup against them,” Granato said.
I built that all up, because rewind back to the beginning of the season. Buffalo beat the Lightning at home, 5-1, but you also have to remember the Sabres scored two empty net goals. Victor Olofsson scored twice in that game and then had one on Halloween. He hasn’t scored since covering 18 games.
Steven Stamkos is sixth in league scoring with 41 points in 36 games. Victor Hedman is 12th with 36 points.
The Lightning have won two of their last three, but have lost four of their last six.
Ondrej Palat has been red-hot with points in seven out of eight games. He has five goals and six assists for 11 points.
Andrei Vasilevskiy has played in four-straight games. Overall, he’s 19-6-3 with a 2.23 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage.
Join Schopp and the Bulldog for pregame coverage on WGR starting at 6 p.m. EST when they’ll be joined by Granato, Dylan Cozens and Quinn.
Related
