NHL

Buffalo Sabres vs New Jersey Devils prediction

Buffalo Sabres4–4–2 · Home New Jersey Devils6–4–0 · Away07:00 PMDec 26

Lines

Lines from the last game · may change

Buffalo Sabres

Last game: Oct 21

1LuukkonenProjected

ZB6BensonLW NO86OstlundC JQ22QuinnRW

1st line

8:40 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
6	Zach Benson LW	21:21	0	5	5
86	Noah Ostlund C	21:40	2	5	7
22	Jack Quinn RW	20:45	5	4	9

21 points this season

JK20KulichLW TT72ThompsonC JD91DoanRW

2nd line

8:44 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
20	Jiří Kulich LW	13:42	1	2	3
72	Tage Thompson C	20:06	5	4	9
91	Josh Doan RW	13:32	1	1	2

14 points this season

JZ17ZuckerLW JN9NorrisC KH94HeleniusRW

3rd line

4:38 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
17	Jason Zucker LW	12:16	1	0	1
9	Josh Norris C	13:43	2	1	3
94	Konsta Helenius RW	9:07	1	1	2

6 points this season

BM29MalenstynLW RM71McLeodC PK19KrebsRW

4th line

5:00 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
29	Beck Malenstyn LW	10:07	0	2	2
71	Ryan McLeod C	13:06	1	1	2
19	Peyton Krebs RW	8:49	0	4	4

8 points this season

RD26DahlinD MS23SamuelssonD

1st pair

14:44 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
26	Rasmus Dahlin D	26:27	2	2	4
23	Mattias Samuelsson D	22:51	2	5	7

11 points this season

OP25PowerD OZ8ZellwegerD

2nd pair

12:21 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
25	Owen Power D	26:12	2	6	8
8	Olen Zellweger D	18:11	2	1	3

11 points this season

ZM73MetsaD LC46CrevierD

3rd pair

4:03 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
73	Zach Metsa D	10:43	0	2	2
46	Louis Crevier D	10:30	0	1	1

3 points this season

NO86OstlundF ZB6BensonF JQ22QuinnF

TT72ThompsonF RD26DahlinD

Power play unit 1

4:41 together on the power play

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
86	Noah Ostlund F	21:40	2	5	7
6	Zach Benson F	21:21	0	5	5
22	Jack Quinn F	20:45	5	4	9
72	Tage Thompson F	20:06	5	4	9
26	Rasmus Dahlin D	26:27	2	2	4

34 points this season

Power play unit 2: No such unit in that game.

ZB6BensonF RM71McLeodF

OP25PowerD MS23SamuelssonD

Penalty kill unit 1

1:26 together on the penalty kill

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
6	Zach Benson F	21:21	0	5	5
71	Ryan McLeod F	13:06	1	1	2
25	Owen Power D	26:12	2	6	8
23	Mattias Samuelsson D	22:51	2	5	7

22 points this season

JN9NorrisF BM29MalenstynF

OZ8ZellwegerD ZM73MetsaD

Penalty kill unit 2

1:15 together on the penalty kill

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
9	Josh Norris F	13:43	2	1	3
29	Beck Malenstyn F	10:07	0	2	2
8	Olen Zellweger D	18:11	2	1	3
73	Zach Metsa D	10:43	0	2	2

10 points this season

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

New Jersey Devils

Last game: Oct 22

1st line

11:15 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
28	Timo Meier LW	16:40	1	3	4
13	Nico Hischier C	16:31	5	2	7
77	Luke Evangelista RW	17:16	3	2	5

16 points this season

63BrattLW

86HughesC AG81GritsyukRW

2nd line

11:18 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
63	Jesper Bratt LW	15:28	2	6	8
86	Jack Hughes C	18:49	3	8	11
81	Arseny Gritsyuk RW	15:40	5	2	7

26 points this season

70BoqvistLW

12GlassC

16BrownRW

3rd line

8:33 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
70	Jesper Boqvist LW	13:41	3	1	4
12	Cody Glass C	13:45	1	0	1
16	Connor Brown RW	13:00	0	2	2

7 points this season

17RodriguesLW

91MercerC

39ManthaRW

4th line

10:07 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
17	Evan Rodrigues LW	12:55	2	2	4
91	Dawson Mercer C	13:55	0	4	4
39	Anthony Mantha RW	11:34	2	1	3

11 points this season

43HughesD

22PesceD

1st pair

18:01 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
43	Luke Hughes D	24:19	3	1	4
22	Brett Pesce D	21:32	0	3	3

7 points this season

71SiegenthalerD

7HamiltonD

2nd pair

18:20 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
71	Jonas Siegenthaler D	21:15	0	2	2
7	Dougie Hamilton D	21:09	1	4	5

7 points this season

JK8KovacevicD

47ChisholmD

3rd pair

13:26 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
8	Johnathan Kovacevic D	15:41	0	0	0
47	Declan Chisholm D	14:50	1	1	2

2 points this season

Power play unit 1

1:35 together on the power play

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
86	Jack Hughes F	18:49	3	8	11
77	Luke Evangelista F	17:16	3	2	5
13	Nico Hischier F	16:31	5	2	7
63	Jesper Bratt F	15:28	2	6	8
43	Luke Hughes D	24:19	3	1	4

35 points this season

Power play unit 2

0:52 together on the power play

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
28	Timo Meier F	16:40	1	3	4
91	Dawson Mercer F	13:55	0	4	4
17	Evan Rodrigues F	12:55	2	2	4
22	Brett Pesce D	21:32	0	3	3
47	Declan Chisholm D	14:50	1	1	2

17 points this season

AG81GritsyukF

17RodriguesF

43HughesD JK8KovacevicD

Penalty kill unit 1

0:32 together on the penalty kill

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
81	Arseny Gritsyuk F	15:40	5	2	7
17	Evan Rodrigues F	12:55	2	2	4
43	Luke Hughes D	24:19	3	1	4
8	Johnathan Kovacevic D	15:41	0	0	0

15 points this season

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

Goalies: Jake Allen #34 (Projected) · Nico Daws #50 (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 (19)

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen · CloutsnChara Sports Cards, CC BY 3.0
Timo Meier · Djmelvis, CC BY-SA 4.0
Nico Hischier · 1815online, CC BY 4.0
Luke Evangelista · TheAHL, CC BY 2.0
Jesper Bratt · Jenn G from Seattle, WA, CC BY-SA 2.0
Jack Hughes · YESNetwork, CC BY 3.0
Jesper Boqvist · All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0
Cody Glass · TheAHL, CC BY 2.0
Connor Brown · Michael Miller, CC BY-SA 4.0
Evan Rodrigues · TheAHL, CC BY 2.0
Dawson Mercer · All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0
Anthony Mantha · All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0
Luke Hughes · Jenn G from Seattle, WA, CC BY-SA 2.0
Brett Pesce · Jenn G from Seattle, WA, CC BY-SA 2.0
Jonas Siegenthaler · Jenn G from Seattle, WA, CC BY-SA 2.0
Dougie Hamilton · Hugh Lee from Edmonton Alberta, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0
Declan Chisholm · Jenn G from Seattle, WA, CC BY-SA 2.0
Nico Daws · Jessica, CC BY-SA 2.0
Jake Allen · TheAHL, CC BY 2.0

Goalie duel

Projected

Projected from recent starts · confirmed at puck drop

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen BUF

.864 save percentage

3.53 GAA · 3–3–2 · 7 starts

Jake Allen NEW

.883 save percentage

3.15 GAA · 4–2–0 · 6 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)