Nov 2, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider (53), Buffalo Sabres right wing Alex Tuch (89) and left wing Jordan Greenway (12) fight for control of the puck in the third period of the game at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images

Buffalo Sabres (25-32-6) vs Detroit Red Wings (30-28-6)

Puck Drop: 7:30 PM ET | Little Caesars Arena, Detroit MI

TV: TNT

Detroit Red Wings

Record: 30-28-6 | 66 PTS

Last Game: 2-1 loss to the Senators (Cozens GWG, lol)

Division Ranking: 7th, Atlantic

PP: 3rd, 28.2% (53/188 opps) [Sabres: 27th, 16.6% (30/181 opps)]

PK: 19th, 77.5% (145/187 killed) [Sabres: 22nd, 76.8% (146/190 killed)]

Yesterday saw the rise (and hopefully quick demise) of the ‘Dahlin wants out’ narrative. Burned by the irresistible allure of hope and blinded by the glare of the superstar spotlight, we Buffalo fans can’t help but (almost gleefully) wait for bad news with an intense morbid fascination that I just have not seen anywhere else in my travels around the world.

With the season pretty much ended, surely there’s got to be a way to keep eyeballs glued to the screen? So here we go, duped by engagement farmers paid by the click busy making an utter parody of both journalism and the sport.

Humor me here for a bit as there is an analogy from a High Performing Teams management course that I’d like to reference here. There are three kinds of people in any team, anywhere you go, sports, business, industry, class projects, whatever.

Player: Actively engaged, positive, open, and eager to learn. Looks for opportunities to take back what they learn, they ask insightful questions and participate in debate.

Vacationer: Not interested in learning but happy to be away from the daily grind. Pays attention some of the time, but mostly glad to be out of the office. Rarely volunteers for activities or provides input.

Prisoner: Feels forced to attend and would rather be doing something else. Spends a lot of time looking at phone or laptop. Is constantly late, does not participate and will not apply the concepts from the training.

Every player that is currently suiting up for the Sabres is also in one of these three categories. You’ll never have a team entirely composed of any one category, it just wouldn’t work and you need a bit of healthy tension. Championship winning teams though, they have enough of the first that drags the second and third groups over the line.

If Dahlin wants to get traded, so be it. Que sera, sera. It tells me he’s moved into either of category two or three, and that is not who we need leading the Sabres.

The two most out-of-form teams in the Atlantic are also the two lowest teams sitting in the basement of the division. Over the last ten games the Sabres are 3-6-1, while the Red Wings are seeing their playoff charge faltering at a crucial juncture going 2-7-1.

Detroit have lost six straight games coming into tonight so of course you know that means they are almost certain to win tonight. Any players that are on goal droughts and struggling with lack of form will be amongst the three stars of the game.

Or something like that.

The Peterka lower body injury means more changes to the forward lines, with Lindy rolling with these yesterday while Zucker was out on a maintenance day.

Kulich Norris ThompsonBenson Krebs QuinnRosen McLeod TuchMalenstyn Greenway Lafferty

Dunne

The Sabres canceled their morning skate today, so there could be more changes.

Also, don’t say it too loudly but per Paul Hamilton, since January 20th Tage Thompson leads the league in scoring, with 14 goals in 17 games. Criticism remains about his ability to influence games against stronger opponents, but what he did against the Oilers on Monday night was exactly what is needed from a top line forward.

Forwards

Jiri Kulich – Josh Norris – Tage ThompsonJason Zucker – Ryan McLeod – Alex TuchZach Benson – Peyton Krebs – Jack Quinn

Beck Malenstyn – Sam Lafferty – Jordan Greenway

Defense

Mattias Samuelsson – Rasmus DahlinBowen Byram – Jacob Bryson

Owen Power – Connor Clifton

Goalies: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (projected starter), James Reimer

Forwards

Elmer Soderblom – Dylan Larkin – Lucas RaymondAlex DeBrincat – Marco Kasper – Patrick KaneCraig Smith – J.T. Compher – Vladimir Tarasenko

Michael Rasmussen – Tyler Motte – Dominik Shine

Defense

Ben Chiarot – Moritz SeiderSimon Edvinsson – Albert Johansson

Erik Gustafsson – Justin Holl

Goalies:

Cam Talbot, Petr Mrazek (projected starter)