12:10 pm
March 7

Sabres @ Islanders

Who will WIN this matchup?

Buffalo Sabres (6-13-3)

@ New York Islanders (14-6-4)

 

Starting Goalies:

Jonas Johansson(BUF): Unconfirmed

Ilya Sorokin (NYI): Unconfirmed

 

Current odds:

Buffalo Sabres: (+190)

New York Islanders: (-230)

 

• For 23 or so minutes Saturday afternoon, the Buffalo Sabres played as if general manager Kevyn Adams lit a fire beneath them. Five minutes later, the Sabres were well on their way to another loss — and perhaps closer to another more forceful reaction from Adams. The Sabres will look to snap a six-game losing streak and begin emerging from an extended slump Sunday afternoon, when they are scheduled to close out a three-game series against the host New York Islanders in Uniondale, N.Y.

• The two teams will be meeting for the second time in under 24 hours. The Islanders scored four second-period goals — including three in a span of fewer than five minutes before the midway point of the period — in a 5-2 win Saturday.

• Rookie Jacob Bryson scored his first NHL goal 33 seconds into the first Saturday for the Sabres, who maintained the lead until Mathew Barzal’s highlight reel-worthy goal 3:51 into the second. After Rasmus Ristolainen fell down in pursuit of Barzal, the Islanders center shuffled the puck in the crease before tucking a backhand between his legs and past goalie Carter Hutton.

• Brock Nelson scored just 85 seconds later to give the Islanders a lead they’d never relinquish and send the Sabres to their sixth straight loss (0-5-1) and their 10th loss in 12 games (2-9-1) since returning from a coronavirus pause Feb. 15.

• Few teams have been better lately than the Islanders, who have won six of seven (6-0-1) and 11 of 15 (11-2-2) since the start of February to move into first place in the East Division. New York hasn’t won a division title since the 1987-88 season.

• Barzal’s goal got all the attention Saturday, but the victory was a team-wide effort for the Islanders, who had 13 skaters record one point but only two — Barzal and Scott Mayfield — with two points. Overall this season, eight Islanders have at least 10 points and five players have at least five goals.

7/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
New York Islanders
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