Sabres at Coyotes preview

SABRES (2-2-0) at COYOTES (1-2-0)
9 p.m. ET; FS-A, MSG-B, NHL.TV

Arizona, which didn't win its first game of the 2017-18 season until Oct. 30, hasn't had consecutive October wins since Oct. 24 and 26, 2015. It is coming off a 3-2 shootout win against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday.
The Sabres begin a five-game Western Conference road trip, and a win would give them their best five-game start since they were 4-1-0 in 2011-12.

Players to watch

Sabres forward Kyle Okposo has 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 12 career games against the Coyotes.
Coyotes forward Dylan Strome has won 69.2 percent of his face-offs (27 of 39) this season and scored a goal in his only game against the Sabres last season.

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They said it

"Just trying to create some chemistry. He's been held off the boards as far as goals go, so I'm trying to get him going. I just think they think the game alike. He can create things, he's a proven goal scorer." -- Sabres coach Phil Housley on moving Jeff Skinner to the second line with Casey Mittelstadt
"We don't really have a natural goal scorer (with Alex Galchenyuk injured). In the meantime, it's by committee. We have to have that approach. The details in our defensive system, our transition game and trying to get teams on their toes by our speed is our recipe. ... That's the only way for us to be successful in this league." -- Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet

Sabres projected lineup

Conor Sheary -- Jack Eichel -- Sam Reinhart
Jeff Skinner -- Casey Mittelstadt -- Kyle Okposo
Tage Thompson -- Patrik Berglund -- Vladimir Sobotka
Remi Elie -- Evan Rodrigues -- Jason Pominville
Marco Scandella -- Rasmus Ristolainen
Jake McCabe -- Rasmus Dahlin
Nathan Beaulieu -- Casey Nelson
Carter Hutton
Linus Ullmark
Scratched:Zemgus Girgensons, Johan Larsson, Matt Tennyson
Injured: Scott Wilson (ankle), Sean Malone (knee), Zach Bogosian (lower body), Matt Hunwick (neck)

Coyotes projected lineup

Richard Panik -- Derek Stepan -- Clayton Keller
Lawson Crouse -- Dylan Strome -- Christian Fischer
Michael Grabner -- Brad Richardson -- Nick Cousins
Brendan Perlini -- Mario Kempe -- Vinnie Hinostroza
Oliver Ekman-Larsson -- Jason Demers
Kevin Connauton -- Niklas Hjalmarsson
Alex Goligoski -- Ilya Lyubushkin
Antti Raanta
Darcy Kuemper
Scratched: Jordan Oesterle
Injured:Josh Archibald (lower body), Alex Galchenyuk (lower body), Jakob Chychrun (knee), Christian Dvorak (lower body)

Status report

Tocchet will reunite the Panik-Stepan-Keller line. Keller (no goals) had been playing center. ... Bogosian, who has been out since Sept. 25, is on the road trip and practiced. ... Chychrun and Dvorak practiced in non-contact jerseys but aren't ready to return. ... Sobotka is expected to return after missing three games with an upper-body injury.

Stat pack

The Coyotes haven't scored an even-strength goal this season. ... Arizona has not allowed a power-play goal on seven chances this season. ... The Sabres have been outshot 137-109; the Coyotes have outshot their opponents 110-70. ... Buffalo is 7-2-1 in its past 10 games against Arizona and 8-2-0 in its past 10 games at Gila River Arena. ... The Sabres are an NHL-worst 16-39-6 in October since 2013-14.