Game Preview | 5 things to know ahead of Sabres at Hurricanes

RALEIGH, N.C. – Ryan Johnson made the most of limited minutes during his NHL debut in Toronto on Saturday, including a stretch pass to Jeff Skinner for his first point in the Sabres’ 6-4 win.

The performance was enough to warrant more opportunity. Johnson is expected to play on a defense pair with Rasmus Dahlin when the Sabres visit the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena on Saturday.

Coverage on MSG/MSG+ begins at 6:30 p.m. with puck drop scheduled for 7.

Here are five things to know.

1. The lineup

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was the first goaltender off the ice and is expected to start in net.

The Sabres will dress 12 forwards and six defensemen, with Lukas Rousek joining the lineup in place of Jacob Bryson. Here’s how the group lined up for practice on Monday:

53 Jeff Skinner - 72 Tage Thompson - 89 Alex Tuch

12 Jordan Greenway - 37 Casey Mittelstadt - 77 JJ Peterka

13 Lukas Rousek - 19 Peyton Krebs - 71 Victor Olofsson

28 Zemgus Girgensons - 17 Tyson Jost - 21 Kyle Okposo

33 Ryan Johnson - 26 Rasmus Dahlin

25 Owen Power - 10 Henri Jokiharju

75 Connor Clifton - 6 Erik Johnson

1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

27 Devon Levi

2. Johnson’s opportunity

Johnson skated 8:20 in the win over the Maple Leafs as the Sabres rotated seven defensemen and played much of the first two periods on special teams.

Sabres coach Don Granato saw enough in those minutes – combined with Johnson’s extended looking in training camp, which included four preseason games – to suggest he would be up to the task of playing alongside Dahlin, a job that entails top-pair matchups.

“Everything in the NHL is teamwork, teamwork, teamwork, and a lot of times players have to learn that,” Granato said. “For your defensemen, it’s your ability to play as a pair and tandem. I thought he did an incredible job of that during training camp, and in reviewing his shifts and just watching him in the game, he was again good in that game in those areas.”

3. Power 100

Owen Power will play his 100th NHL game. He ranks 18th in the NHL in ice time (2,335:39) since making his debut as a 19-year-old in Toronto on April 12, 2022, a testament to the immediate trust he earned upon entering the league.

Granato’s focus shifted to the future when he reflected on the milestone Tuesday morning.

“As you get to know him more as a player, you realize how much better he’s going to become every day,” Granato said. “He’s come a long way already but, wow … the potential is just enormous when you watch him and you watch film, the things that he’ll be able to add to his game.

“A hundred in, he’s done a very nice job, obviously. But it’s fun when you watch film and you see how much better he’s going to get day by day just by going through different experiences.”

4. Peterka’s streak

JJ Peterka enters Tuesday on a career-best five-game point streak, with three goals and three assists in that span. His five goals rank third on the Sabres behind Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner.

5. Scouting the Hurricanes

Carolina has won four of its past five games after erasing a 3-0 deficit and defeating the Islanders 4-3 in overtime on Saturday.

Granato said consistency in details will be key to outlasting the Hurricanes and their aggressive, high-pressure style of play.

“You can play 55 really good minutes and if you have trouble for five, that can be the difference in the game,” Granato said. “They’re a team that plays very direct and very consistent. They hit the repeat button and they do it for 60 minutes, so you’ve got to be on your game for the duration.

“You’ve got to string more segments together and even when you’re having bad ones, you’ve got to defend well. So, it’s a great building for that type of a challenge and that type of effort to play more of a complete game and it’s exciting to be in that.”

Jesperi Kotkaniemi leads Carolina with 12 points. Antti Raanta will start in goal following news on Monday that Frederik Andersen will be out indefinitely due to a blood clotting issue.