Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The Buffalo Sabres come into Saturday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings with a 3-1-1 record in their last five games.
If the Sabres beat Detroit, they will have accomplished something they rarely did last season: Win three-straight games.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has won his last two games played, and is likely to get the start in goal on Saturday. Overall this season, Luukkonen is 2-2-1 with a 3.01 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage.
Buffalo has scored 22 goals over the last five games, which is a 4.40 goals-for average, good for second in the NHL. Their points percentage of .700 is ninth overall.
None of those 22 goals have come on the power play, and the line of Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch and JJ Peterka has been red-hot.
In eight games this season, Tuch is 18th in league scoring with three goals and six assists for nine points.
Thompson is 10th in the NHL with five goals, and has eight points, with seven of them coming in his five-game point streak.
Ryan McLeod also has a five-game points streak, and a four-game goal scoring streak.
After winning four-straight games and five out of six against the Red Wings, Buffalo has lost the last two, and the last three out of four.
The Sabres beat one of the best teams in the NHL, the Dallas Stars, 4-2 on Tuesday night. The game wasn’t as close as the score would indicate.
If the Sabres can build on that win, it will go down as a signature victory for them.
Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters on Friday that winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel will be available for Saturday’s game, but he may not play because he’s only had one practice. He suffered a lower-body injury on opening day in Prague.
Zach Benson is still not back at practice for the Sabres with a lower-body injury.
Detroit is on a three-game winning streak, outscoring their opponents, 11-5.
It’s Alex Lyon’s turn to be in net for Detroit om Saturday. He’s 2-1-0 this season with a 1.46 goals-against average and a .955 save percentage. Both Cam Talbot and Ville Husso have been nowhere near as good in goal.
The Red Wings' scoring is spread out, as Alex DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond lead them with six points in seven games.
At 4-3-0, the Red Wings have one more point than the 3-4-1 Sabres. Buffalo is 15th in the NHL, averaging 3.13 goals per-game, while Detroit is 24th at 2.86 goals per-game.
Defensively, the Red Wings are 11th in the league, giving up 2.86 goals per-game. Buffalo is 23rd, allowing 3.50 goals per-game.
Join Brian Koziol ane myself for pregame coverage on WGR starting at 12 p.m. ET when you'll hear from Ruff and Henri Jokiharju.