Game Preview | 5 things to know ahead of Sabres at Red Wings

DETROIT - Lawrence Pilut will join the Sabres' lineup tonight against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena.
Pilut will step in for Ilya Lyubushkin, who left Buffalo's game against Tampa Bay on Monday after blocking a Steven Stamkos slap shot late in the third period. Scans on Lyubushkin's injury came back clear, but the team will see how he responds before setting a timeline for his return.
Pilut has averaged 13:41 and tallied one assist in 11 games this season.
Tonight's game will be nationally televised on TNT beginning at 7 p.m. Dan Dunleavy and Rob Ray will have the radio call on WGR 550.
Here are five things to know.

1. The lineup

The Sabres held an optional skate and did not conduct line rushes. Sabres coach Don Granato did not announce his starting goaltender.
Granato did announce that Vinnie Hinostroza will join the lineup at forward in place of Rasmus Asplund. He will skate on a line with Victor Olofsson and Casey Mittelstadt.
"The hope (is) a more direct game, more interior play," Granato said.

2. On the rebound

The Sabres will aim to bounce back from their overtime loss to the Lightning. They pulled ahead 5-3 with 5:41 to play in that game before the Lightning strung together three unanswered goals, including the overtime winner from Stamkos.
The feeling from inside the dressing room after that game was that the Sabres had played to their aggressive identity through 50 minutes but shifted to a conservative mindset late.
"The guys have every reason to be excited about playing as long as they compete," Granato said after practice on Tuesday. "I mentioned that psyche is a big part of things and the psyche's where we slipped last night. We didn't slip in compete or preparation.
"We need to keep doing that and reflect that we can't allow this to now take a further hit on the psyche. You lose a game, disappointment, it can't linger into today. I thought the skate today was real good and there's every reason to be excited about playing another game. These guys love playing hockey."

3. The young guys line

The trio of JJ Peterka, Dylan Cozens, and Jack Quinn continued its strong play with a pair of goals against the Lightning. The Sabres have held decisive advantages in shot attempts (81-58), scoring chances (53-34), and high-danger attempts (67.5) with their line on the ice at 5-on-5 this season.
Read more about their success in Tuesday's practice report.

4. Tage's pace

Tage Thompson added another highlight-reel goal to his resume against the Lightning, moving him into a three-way tie for fourth in the NHL with 14 goals this season (alongside Boston's David Pastrnak and Carolina's Andrei Svechnikov).
Thompson is on pace for 52 goals and 104 points over 82 games. The Sabres have not had a player score 50 goals or 100 points since 1992-93, when Alexander Mogilny and Pat LaFontaine set franchise records with 76 goals and 148 points, respectively.

5. Scouting the Red Wings

The Red Wings won five straight games prior to a 4-2 loss to the Maple Leafs on Monday.
Granato said the Red Wings appear to have progressed as the season has worn on, summing up their identity in one word: fast.
"Much different team than we saw in Buffalo when you watch them on video," he said. "They're feeling good about their game. They should feel good about their game because they've been playing well. They get a lot of energy out of this building when you watch them play."
The Sabres defeated the Red Wings 8-3 in Buffalo on October 31, fueled by a six-point performance from Thompson.
Detroit has since added forward Tyler Bertuzzi, who has four points in eight games after starting the season on injured reserve. Dylan Larkin and Dominik Kubalik are tied for the team lead with nine goals apiece while Larkin has a team-high 24 points.
Alex Nedjelkovic will start in goal for the Red Wings. He's 2-3-1 with a .880 save percentage.