NHL

Buffalo Sabres vs Colorado Avalanche prediction

Buffalo Sabres5–4–3 · Home Colorado Avalanche7–5–1 · Away07:30 PMJan 14

Lines

Lines from the last game · may change

Buffalo Sabres

Last game: Oct 27

1LuukkonenProjected

91DoanLW NO86OstlundC

22QuinnRW

1st line

12:34 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
91	Josh Doan LW	15:49	2	1	3
86	Noah Ostlund C	18:55	3	5	8
22	Jack Quinn RW	19:28	6	4	10

21 points this season

ZB6BensonLW

72ThompsonC

94HeleniusRW

2nd line

9:33 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
6	Zach Benson LW	17:52	1	6	7
72	Tage Thompson C	17:10	5	5	10
94	Konsta Helenius RW	11:44	1	2	3

20 points this season

17ZuckerLW

9NorrisC

71McLeodRW

3rd line

8:52 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
17	Jason Zucker LW	12:04	1	0	1
9	Josh Norris C	16:02	2	1	3
71	Ryan McLeod RW	13:19	1	2	3

7 points this season

BM29MalenstynLW TK48KozakC PK19KrebsRW

4th line

7:29 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	A	P
29	Beck Malenstyn LW	13:19	2	2
48	Tyson Kozak C	11:14	0	0
19	Peyton Krebs RW	10:04	4	4

6 points this season

26DahlinD

23SamuelssonD

1st pair

18:46 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
26	Rasmus Dahlin D	26:19	2	3	5
23	Mattias Samuelsson D	24:05	2	5	7

12 points this season

25PowerD

8ZellwegerD

2nd pair

15:44 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
25	Owen Power D	24:49	2	9	11
8	Olen Zellweger D	22:01	3	2	5

16 points this season

ZM73MetsaD LC46CrevierD

3rd pair

6:52 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
73	Zach Metsa D	10:37	0	2	2
46	Louis Crevier D	9:11	0	1	1

3 points this season

22QuinnF NO86OstlundF ZB6BensonF

72ThompsonF

26DahlinD

Power play unit 1

2:12 together on the power play

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
22	Jack Quinn F	19:28	6	4	10
86	Noah Ostlund F	18:55	3	5	8
6	Zach Benson F	17:52	1	6	7
72	Tage Thompson F	17:10	5	5	10
26	Rasmus Dahlin D	26:19	2	3	5

40 points this season

Power play unit 2

0:37 together on the power play

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
9	Josh Norris F	16:02	2	1	3
91	Josh Doan F	15:49	2	1	3
71	Ryan McLeod F	13:19	1	2	3
17	Jason Zucker F	12:04	1	0	1
26	Rasmus Dahlin D	26:19	2	3	5

15 points this season

9NorrisF BM29MalenstynF

25PowerD

23SamuelssonD

Penalty kill unit 1

1:29 together on the penalty kill

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
9	Josh Norris F	16:02	2	1	3
29	Beck Malenstyn F	13:19	0	2	2
25	Owen Power D	24:49	2	9	11
23	Mattias Samuelsson D	24:05	2	5	7

23 points this season

Penalty kill unit 2: No such unit in that game.

Goalies: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen #1 (Projected) · Colten Ellis #92 (Backup)

Colorado Avalanche

Last game: Oct 28

1st line

9:50 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
62	Artturi Lehkonen LW	15:22	10	5	15
88	Martin Nečas C	17:26	6	10	16
29	Nathan MacKinnon RW	16:30	8	14	22

53 points this season

FS9SvechkovLW

17KellyC

25O'ConnorRW

2nd line

9:03 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
9	Fedor Svechkov LW	11:32	2	5	7
17	Parker Kelly C	11:56	2	4	6
25	Logan O'Connor RW	11:46	0	0	0

13 points this season

92LandeskogLW

11NelsonC

10RoyRW

3rd line

8:04 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
92	Gabriel Landeskog LW	10:53	5	2	7
11	Brock Nelson C	14:07	3	5	8
10	Nicolas Roy RW	9:47	2	3	5

20 points this season

71SchwartzLW

91KadriC

13HughesRW

4th line

7:58 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
71	Jaden Schwartz LW	9:27	4	5	9
91	Nazem Kadri C	13:33	2	8	10
13	T.J. Hughes RW	11:45	2	2	4

23 points this season

8MakarD

7ToewsD

1st pair

9:17 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
8	Cale Makar D	22:30	3	8	11
7	Devon Toews D	20:57	4	6	10

21 points this season

27KulakD

84BurnsD

2nd pair

6:11 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
27	Brett Kulak D	19:12	0	4	4
84	Brent Burns D	14:44	0	5	5

9 points this season

3rd pair: No such unit in that game.

Power play unit 1

2:24 together on the power play

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
88	Martin Nečas F	17:26	6	10	16
29	Nathan MacKinnon F	16:30	8	14	22
91	Nazem Kadri F	13:33	2	8	10
13	T.J. Hughes F	11:45	2	2	4
8	Cale Makar D	22:30	3	8	11

63 points this season

Power play unit 2

0:47 together on the power play

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
62	Artturi Lehkonen F	15:22	10	5	15
11	Brock Nelson F	14:07	3	5	8
92	Gabriel Landeskog F	10:53	5	2	7
71	Jaden Schwartz F	9:27	4	5	9
7	Devon Toews D	20:57	4	6	10

49 points this season

Penalty kill unit 1

0:53 together on the penalty kill

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
62	Artturi Lehkonen F	15:22	10	5	15
11	Brock Nelson F	14:07	3	5	8
8	Cale Makar D	22:30	3	8	11
7	Devon Toews D	20:57	4	6	10

44 points this season

Penalty kill unit 2

0:30 together on the penalty kill

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
17	Parker Kelly F	11:56	2	4	6
10	Nicolas Roy F	9:47	2	3	5
27	Brett Kulak D	19:12	0	4	4
84	Brent Burns D	14:44	0	5	5

20 points this season

Goalies: Mackenzie Blackwood #39 (Projected) · Scott Wedgewood #41 (Backup)

Swipe the rink to switch units

How we read the lines

From the NHL’s shift charts, the three forwards and the two defencemen who shared the most 5-on-5 ice time, ranked by time on ice. Coaches shuffle lines often, so treat them as a guide until puck drop. Power-play and penalty-kill units: the five (on the power play) or four (on the penalty kill) skaters who were on the ice together the longest in that situation. TOI: ice time in that game. G, A, P: goals, assists and points this season.

Photo credits (29)

Josh Doan · Sandro Halank, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Jack Quinn · HickoryOughtShirt?4, CC BY-SA 4.0
Tage Thompson · Sandro Halank, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Konsta Helenius · Awhalen0601, CC0
Jason Zucker · TheAHL, CC BY 2.0
Josh Norris · SecretName101, CC BY-SA 4.0
Ryan McLeod · All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0
Rasmus Dahlin · Colin Gallagher, CC BY-SA 4.0
Mattias Samuelsson · pleclown, CC BY-SA 2.0
Owen Power · Jenn G, CC BY-SA 2.0
Olen Zellweger · Kaiser matias, CC BY-SA 4.0
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen · CloutsnChara Sports Cards, CC BY 3.0
Artturi Lehkonen · All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0
Martin Nečas · OISV, CC BY-SA 4.0
Nathan MacKinnon · 5of7, CC BY-SA 2.0
Parker Kelly · Jenn G from Seattle, WA, CC BY-SA 2.0
Logan O'Connor · Tim Piper, CC BY 2.0
Gabriel Landeskog · 5of7, CC BY-SA 2.0
Brock Nelson · Michael Miller, CC BY-SA 4.0
Nicolas Roy · TheAHL, CC BY 2.0
Jaden Schwartz · Hugh Lee from Edmonton Alberta, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0
Nazem Kadri · Logan34can, CC BY-SA 4.0
T.J. Hughes · SecretName101, CC BY 4.0
Cale Makar · Quintin Soloviev, CC BY-SA 4.0
Devon Toews · TheAHL, CC BY 2.0
Brett Kulak · TheAHL, CC BY 2.0
Brent Burns · mark6mauno, CC BY-SA 2.0
Mackenzie Blackwood · TheAHL, CC BY 2.0
Scott Wedgewood · Lisa Gansky from New York, NY, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0

Goalie duel

Projected

Projected from recent starts · confirmed at puck drop

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen BUF

.866 save percentage

3.56 GAA · 3–3–3 · 8 starts

Mackenzie Blackwood COL

.894 save percentage

2.81 GAA · 6–3–0 · 9 starts

Teams do not name their goalie before the game. We expect the No. 1 unless his team played the night before, when the back-up usually starts; last season that call was right about two times in three. Our win chances do not depend on it.

Photo credits (2)