Game Preview: 02.05.26 at Buffalo Sabres

The Penguins play their final game before the Olympic Break as they take on the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. Puck drop is set for 7 PM.

This game will be available to watch on SNP. Fans can listen to the game on 105.9 The X and on the Penguins app.

Team Records: PIT (28-15-12), BUF (36-18-6)

The Penguins have wins in three of their last four games against the Sabres (3-1-0) are 15-6-1 in their last 22 games against Buffalo. Pittsburgh has points in 18 of its last 22 visits to KeyBank Center (15-4-3). The Penguins have scored three or more goals in 11 of their last 13 games against Buffalo.

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Game Notes

QUICK HITS

Pittsburgh has points in five-straight road games (4-0-1) and are 7-1-1 in their last nine road games.

Anthony Mantha has 14 points (5G-9A) in 21 career games against Buffalo. He has four multi-point games against them.

Erik Karlsson’s 42 points (14G-28A) and Kris Letang’s 33 points (6G-27A) against the Sabres rank first and second, respectively, among active defensemen.

The Penguins have killed off 35 of their last 37 penalties over the past eight games (94.6%).

Connor Clifton spent two seasons of his career with Buffalo from 2023-25 where he recorded 34 points (5G-29A) in 152 games. He has five points (2G-3A) in 16 games against his former team.

ROAD DAWGS

The Penguins have been a force on the road this season. They have a 15-7-5 record despite playing only 27 games on the road. Their win total ranks tied for sixth in the League, while their point percentage is even higher.

THE MAN-THA

Anthony Mantha has been on a heater during the Penguins last eight games. On Tuesday, he scored a goal and has four multi-point games in the last eight games. In that time, no one on Pittsburgh has more goals or points than Mantha.

ON A ROLL

The Penguins continued their dominant play since returning from the holiday break on December 25 having picked up points in 16 of their 19 games with a 13-3-3 record. They rank near the top of the league in multiple statistical categories.

SCORING SID-SASTION

Sidney Crosby comes into tomorrow's game three goals shy of reaching the 30-goal mark for the 14th time in his career and the fifth-consecutive season. Only six players in NHL history have more 30-goal seasons than him currently and only Alex Ovechkin has more among active players (19).

SCORING SENSATION

Egor Chinakhov has made his presence felt early on in his time in Pittsburgh. He has 11 points (8G-3A) in 17 games, helping the Penguins go 11-3-3 with him in the lineup. Since he made his Penguins debut on January 1, no one has more goals than him.

MULTI-POINT MAYHEM

Sidney Crosby has seven multi-point efforts in his last 17 games and is now one such instance shy of tying both Mark Messier and Marcel Dionne for third most multi-point games in NHL history.

RAKELL 300

Rickard Rakell comes into tomorrow three assists shy of 300 assists in his career. He would become the 13th active player from the 2011 NHL Draft to reach the mark. The Swedish forward played parts of 10 seasons in Anaheim before being traded to Pittsburgh in 2021-22. Since then, he ranks sixth on Pittsburgh in points (204). Below is a look at his career so far.

40-POINT PLATEAU

Bryan Rust tallied a goal in his return to the lineup on Tuesday night, helping him hit the 40-point plateau for the seventh time in his career. He is just the 11th player in Penguins history with seven or more 40-point seasons.

CROSBY VS. BUFFALO

Captain Sidney Crosby enters tomorrow's game with points in 21 of his last 30 games (15G-21A) versus Buffalo. He has recorded at least one point in 50 of 63 career games played against them, while his 86 points (30G-56A) are the most he’s tallied against any non-Metropolitan Division opponent. Crosby enters tonight’s game with the eighth-highest career points-per-game average versus the Sabres (min. 20 GP).

Crosby is one of 12 players in NHL history to record 50 assists against Buffalo, and is three points shy of tying Daniel Alfredsson (89) for the sixth-most points against the Sabres in NHL history.

THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD

Despite only playing in the same division as Buffalo for one season (2020-21), the Penguins have the two top point scorers versus the Buffalo Sabres among all active players.