NHL

Buffalo Sabres vs Nashville Predators prediction

Buffalo Sabres5–4–3 · Home Nashville Predators4–3–5 · Away07:00 PMJan 16

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)

Nashville Predators

Last game: Oct 27

1st line

8:31 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
91	Steven Stamkos LW	20:18	7	7	14
90	Ryan O'Reilly C	24:10	7	6	13
22	Mavrik Bourque RW	17:12	0	2	2

29 points this season

9ForsbergLW

14KerfootC

81MarchessaultRW

2nd line

3:10 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
9	Filip Forsberg LW	22:47	3	9	12
14	Alexander Kerfoot C	16:30	2	2	4
81	Jonathan Marchessault RW	17:27	1	3	4

20 points this season

AE84EdströmLW

18DruryC

79ColtonRW

3rd line

7:58 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
84	Adam Edström LW	16:32	4	0	4
18	Jack Drury C	20:05	2	1	3
79	Ross Colton RW	13:48	1	2	3

10 points this season

4th line: No such unit in that game.

59JosiD AW2WilsbyD

1st pair

12:47 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
59	Roman Josi D	26:07	1	10	11
2	Adam Wilsby D	22:40	0	4	4

15 points this season

76SkjeiD

48PerbixD

2nd pair

6:55 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
76	Brady Skjei D	19:47	0	3	3
48	Nick Perbix D	18:44	0	0	0

3 points this season

DH52HuntD

41HagueD

3rd pair

7:08 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
52	Daemon Hunt D	14:45	0	0	0
41	Nicolas Hague D	12:13	0	1	1

1 points this season

Power play unit 1

4:30 together on the power play

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
90	Ryan O'Reilly F	24:10	7	6	13
9	Filip Forsberg F	22:47	3	9	12
91	Steven Stamkos F	20:18	7	7	14
81	Jonathan Marchessault F	17:27	1	3	4
59	Roman Josi D	26:07	1	10	11

54 points this season

Power play unit 2

0:33 together on the power play

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
22	Mavrik Bourque F	17:12	0	2	2
14	Alexander Kerfoot F	16:30	2	2	4
79	Ross Colton F	13:48	1	2	3
71	Matthew Wood F	10:39	1	2	3
76	Brady Skjei D	19:47	0	3	3

15 points this season

Penalty kill unit 1

3:00 together on the penalty kill

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
18	Jack Drury F	20:05	2	1	3
14	Alexander Kerfoot F	16:30	2	2	4
76	Brady Skjei D	19:47	0	3	3
48	Nick Perbix D	18:44	0	0	0

10 points this season

90O'ReillyF AE84EdströmF

59JosiD AW2WilsbyD

Penalty kill unit 2

1:01 together on the penalty kill

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
90	Ryan O'Reilly F	24:10	7	6	13
84	Adam Edström F	16:32	4	0	4
59	Roman Josi D	26:07	1	10	11
2	Adam Wilsby D	22:40	0	4	4

32 points this season

Goalies: Juuse Saros #74 (Projected) · Justus Annunen #29 (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 (27)

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
Steven Stamkos · Lisa Gansky, CC BY-SA 2.0
Ryan O'Reilly · Fanny Schertzer, CC BY 3.0
Mavrik Bourque · Cass, CC BY-SA 4.0
Filip Forsberg · JennG, CC BY-SA 2.0
Alexander Kerfoot · Quintin Soloviev, CC BY-SA 4.0
Jonathan Marchessault · Michael Miller, CC BY-SA 4.0
Jack Drury · TheAHL, CC BY 2.0
Ross Colton · U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Joshua Hastings, Public domain
Roman Josi · Christophe95, CC BY-SA 3.0
Brady Skjei · Sandro Halank, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Nick Perbix · U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Joshua Hastings, Public domain
Nicolas Hague · Jfvoll, CC BY-SA 4.0
Matthew Wood · SecretName101, CC BY 4.0
Juuse Saros · Coordinator50, CC BY 4.0
Justus Annunen · Jenn G from Seattle, WA, 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

Juuse Saros NAS

.906 save percentage

2.81 GAA · 3–2–4 · 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)