Sabres vs. Avalanche | How to watch, lineup notes, and storylines

The Buffalo Sabres return to KeyBank Center with a sense of urgency as they open a three-game homestand against the Colorado Avalanche on Monday afternoon.

The Sabres – dealing with several injuries to start the season, including to top-line forward Josh Norris – opened the campaign with a loss at home to the New York Rangers and then fell to 0-2-0 with a 3-1 loss in Boston on Saturday.

Lindy Ruff voiced his disappointment following the loss in Boston.

“We have to just raise our level of compete,” the Sabres coach said. “I thought our compete was terrible. Worst competing, skating, moving feet that I’ve seen.”

The Sabres get the chance to right the ship with an early-season schedule that is heavy with home games. Buffalo plays five of its next six games at KeyBank Center – including four visits from division opponents.

But first, they get a matchup with a perennial contender from out west in the Avalanche, who are 2-0-1 to start this season.

“The urgency has got to be there,” Sabres forward Jason Zucker said.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of today’s game.

How to watch

TV (Buffalo broadcast market): MSG

Streaming: Gotham Sports App, ESPN+ (out of market)

Radio: WGR 550

More ways to watch/listen to Sabres games

Lineup notes (updated 12:05 p.m.)

Ruff tweaked the forward lines during Saturday’s game in Boston, including a move for Josh Doan alongside Jiri Kulich and Tage Thompson.

“He worked hard,” Ruff said of Doan. “Moved him up. The guys I thought were going, I tried to get them in a better position to help us out. I think some of those changes helped.”

Here are the lines from warmups, including Doan with Thompson once again:

Scouting the Avalanche

Colorado won its first two games of the season prior to dropping a shootout to Dallas on Saturday.

The Avalanche have been fueled to date by the top-line combination of Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas, the latter of whom was acquired last season in the blockbuster deal that (briefly) sent Mikko Rantanen to Carolina.

MacKinnon and Necas both have at least a point in each of Colorado’s three games, and the Avalanche have outscored opponents 4-0 when the two have shared the ice at 5-on-5 (according to Natural Stat Trick). Necas has a team-high three goals.

Pregame sound