Rangers at Sabres

RANGERS (17-5-3) at SABRES (8-14-3)

Rangers projected lineup
Chris Kreider -- Mika Zibanejad -- Kaapo Kakko
Artemi Panarin -- Ryan Strome -- Dryden Hunt
Alexis Lafreniere
-- Filip Chytil -- Julien Gauthier
Kevin Rooney -- Barclay Goodrow -- Ryan Reaves
Ryan Lindgren -- Adam Fox
K'Andre Miller -- Jacob Trouba
Patrik Nemeth -- Nils Lundkvist
Alexandar Georgiev
Keith Kinkaid
Scratched: Libor Hajek
Injured: Sammy Blais (right knee), Igor Shesterkin (lower body)
Sabres projected lineup
Jeff Skinner -- Tage Thompson -- Victor Olofsson
Rasmus Asplund -- Dylan Cozens -- Kyle Okposo
Zemgus Girgensons -- Cody Eakin -- John Hayden
Brett Murray -- Mark Jankowski -- Vinnie Hinostroza
Rasmus Dahlin -- Henri Jokiharju
Jacob Bryson -- Colin Miller
Will Butcher -- Mark Pysyk
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Aaron Dell
Scratched: Anders Bjork
Injured: Casey Mittelstadt (undisclosed), Malcolm Subban (undisclosed), Robert Hagg (undisclosed), Drake Caggiula (upper body), Craig Anderson (upper body), Alex Tuch (shoulder)
COVID-19 protocol: Dustin Tokarski
Status report
Lindgren was absent from the Rangers' morning skate Friday for maintenance but is expected to play. ... Kinkaid was recalled from Hartford of the American Hockey League on Friday to back up Georgiev. ... Goalie Adam Huska was assigned to Hartford after allowing seven goals on 39 shots in a 7-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday in his NHL debut. ... Hagg, a defenseman, will miss a third straight game but is expected to return against the Washington Capitals on Saturday. … Mittelstadt had surgery Friday; how long the center will be out had yet to be determined. ... Subban, a goalie, skated with the Sabres for the first time since being injured Dec. 4.