NHL

Buffalo Sabres vs St. Louis Blues prediction

Buffalo Sabres5–4–3 · Home St. Louis Blues5–6–1 · Away07:00 PMMar 4

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)

St. Louis Blues

Last game: Oct 27

1st line

9:24 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
81	Dylan Holloway LW	18:24	3	7	10
18	Robert Thomas C	20:47	1	4	5
21	Jimmy Snuggerud RW	16:46	6	2	8

23 points this season

77McMichaelLW

83McTavishC

29BerggrenRW

2nd line

8:49 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
77	Connor McMichael LW	17:01	2	5	7
83	Mason McTavish C	17:57	6	4	10
29	Jonatan Berggren RW	15:01	2	3	5

22 points this season

89BuchnevichLW

63NeighboursC

15DvorskyRW

3rd line

9:25 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
89	Pavel Buchnevich LW	21:57	2	4	6
63	Jake Neighbours C	16:41	3	2	5
15	Dalibor Dvorsky RW	11:13	2	1	3

14 points this season

41KaskimakiLW

22SuterC AT13ToropchenkoRW

4th line

5:19 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
41	Aleksanteri Kaskimaki LW	8:58	0	1	1
22	Pius Suter C	10:23	3	3	6
13	Alexey Toropchenko RW	10:25	0	0	0

7 points this season

17FowlerD

55ParaykoD

1st pair

11:17 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
17	Cam Fowler D	23:30	0	4	4
55	Colton Parayko D	21:46	0	4	4

8 points this season

6BrobergD

25CarloD

2nd pair

10:08 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
6	Philip Broberg D	26:11	2	4	6
25	Brandon Carlo D	15:19	0	1	1

7 points this season

36JiricekD JB72BarronD

3rd pair

8:16 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
36	Adam Jiricek D	16:21	1	1	2
72	Justin Barron D	11:14	1	4	5

7 points this season

Power play unit 1

2:43 together on the power play

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
18	Robert Thomas F	20:47	1	4	5
81	Dylan Holloway F	18:24	3	7	10
21	Jimmy Snuggerud F	16:46	6	2	8
63	Jake Neighbours F	16:41	3	2	5
6	Philip Broberg D	26:11	2	4	6

34 points this season

Power play unit 2

2:11 together on the power play

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
89	Pavel Buchnevich F	21:57	2	4	6
83	Mason McTavish F	17:57	6	4	10
77	Connor McMichael F	17:01	2	5	7
29	Jonatan Berggren F	15:01	2	3	5
17	Cam Fowler D	23:30	0	4	4

32 points this season

Penalty kill unit 1

1:29 together on the penalty kill

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
89	Pavel Buchnevich F	21:57	2	4	6
22	Pius Suter F	10:23	3	3	6
6	Philip Broberg D	26:11	2	4	6
55	Colton Parayko D	21:46	0	4	4

22 points this season

Penalty kill unit 2

0:59 together on the penalty kill

#	Player	TOI	A	P
13	Alexey Toropchenko F	10:25	0	0
41	Aleksanteri Kaskimaki F	8:58	1	1
17	Cam Fowler D	23:30	4	4
25	Brandon Carlo D	15:19	1	1

6 points this season

Goalies: Joel Hofer #30 (Projected) · Jordan Binnington #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 (30)

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
Dylan Holloway · Jenn G from Seattle, WA, CC BY-SA 2.0
Robert Thomas · Jfvoll, CC BY-SA 4.0
Jimmy Snuggerud · Martin Rulsch , Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Connor McMichael · All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0
Mason McTavish · Jenn G, CC BY-SA 2.0
Jonatan Berggren · TheAHL, CC BY 2.0
Pavel Buchnevich · Shayypy, CC BY-SA 4.0
Jake Neighbours · Kaiser matias, CC BY-SA 4.0
Dalibor Dvorsky · Mike Zitek/AHL, CC BY 2.0
Aleksanteri Kaskimaki · Martin Rulsch , Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Pius Suter · Reto Stauffer, CC BY-SA 4.0
Cam Fowler · mark6mauno, CC BY-SA 2.0
Colton Parayko · Johnmaxmena2, CC BY-SA 4.0
Philip Broberg · Shayypy, CC BY 4.0
Brandon Carlo · Puffycoombes, CC BY-SA 4.0
Adam Jiricek · Dobryvecer12, CC0
Jordan Binnington · TheAHL, CC BY 2.0
Joel Hofer · TheAHL, CC BY 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

Joel Hofer LOU

.917 save percentage

2.40 GAA · 4–3–1 · 1 shutout · 8 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)