The Sabres vs Sharks preview for Tuesday centers on two teams still searching for consistency a quarter of the way into the season. Buffalo (4-4-3) visits San Jose (6-5-1) at SAP Center on Tuesday, Oct. 27, with puck drop set for 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. Both clubs sit near the bottom of their divisions, and the biggest question is which team can clean up its own end long enough to make its offensive talent matter.
Sabres Vs Sharks Game Information
- Date: Tuesday, Oct. 27
- Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: SAP Center at San Jose, San Jose, CA
- TV: ESPN
Who Starts In Goal?
Colten Ellis is projected to start for Buffalo, while Yaroslav Askarov is listed as San Jose’s probable starter. Both are projections and not confirmed lineups until warmups. Neither goalie has had an easy season behind them statistically.
The Sabres have allowed 40 goals on 292 shots for a .866 team save percentage, while the Sharks have surrendered 42 goals on 364 shots for an .892 mark. San Jose’s goaltending depth took a hit with Kyle Keyser on injured reserve with an upper-body injury and no return expected before Dec. 1.
What Do The Injury Reports Say?
San Jose is without forwards Igor Chernyshov (upper body, out until Nov. 14) and Alexander Wennberg (upper body, out until Nov. 9), along with Quentin Musty on injured reserve with an upper-body injury and no return date before Dec. 1. Buffalo center Jiri Kulich remains out with a concussion and isn’t expected back before Nov. 4. The Sabres also list Justin Danforth as day-to-day with an upper-body injury, and defenseman Matt Grzelcyk and center Sam Carrick both carry Oct. 27 target return dates off injured reserve, meaning their availability for Tuesday is uncertain.
How Have Both Teams Played Recently?
Neither team arrives with momentum. San Jose has dropped three of its last five, including a 6-4 loss at Boston on Oct. 24, sandwiched around a 6-2 win at Ottawa and a 4-3 overtime win at Montreal. Buffalo has lost four of its last five, with three of those defeats coming in overtime or a shootout, most recently a 4-3 overtime loss at Washington on Oct. 24. The Sabres have been competitive in close games without finishing them, a pattern reflected in their three overtime losses on the season compared to San Jose’s one.
Key Matchup: Celebrini’s Line Against A Thin Buffalo Blue Line
Macklin Celebrini leads the Sharks in goals (5), assists (10) and points (15), and his production has carried San Jose’s offense through the season’s first stretch. The Sabres will try to contain him without Grzelcyk’s status fully settled and with their penalty kill already stretched thin, having allowed 11 power-play goals against compared to San Jose’s 11 power-play goals for. Buffalo’s own scoring threat, Jack Quinn, leads the Sabres with six goals and 11 points, and Owen Power paces the team with seven assists. How Buffalo’s shorthanded defense handles San Jose’s power play, which has converted on more than three times as many man-advantage goals as Buffalo has scored, could decide which team controls the game’s tempo.
What To Watch
Both teams sit near the bottom of their respective divisions, with Buffalo tied for last in the Atlantic at 11 points and San Jose fourth in the Pacific at 13 points. A win Tuesday would not change the standings dramatically, but it would snap a losing pattern for whichever team pulls it off. The season series opens with this game, so there is no prior result to lean on. Buffalo’s next test comes as it continues its road trip, while San Jose looks to build off any result heading into its next home stand.
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