January 21

The Buffalo Sabres face a quick turnaround after Monday afternoon’s 6-4 loss in Seattle, as they now visit the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night at Rogers Arena.

Having lost two straight and dropped to 3-4-1 in January, the Sabres look to win more puck battles, better capitalize on their scoring chances and begin building momentum on this four-game road trip out west.

They’ll take on a Canucks team that, despite its recent struggles, boasts plenty of scoring talent and beat Buffalo 4-3 in overtime on Nov. 29.

The puck drops at 10 p.m. Here’s what you need to know in the meantime.

How to watch

TV (Buffalo broadcast market): MSG (Pregame coverage begins at 9:30 p.m.)

Streaming (out of market): ESPN+

Radio: WGR 550

Click here for more ways to watch Sabres games.

Lineup notes (updated 3:30 p.m.)

Jason Zucker was absent from the Sabres’ morning skate and is questionable due to an illness, coach Lindy Ruff announced.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will start in goal after resting during Monday’s game due to what Ruff described as “nagging issues.” With Luukkonen available, the Sabres recalled forward Tyson Kozak and loaned goaltender Devon Levi to Rochester.

Despite playing on back-to-back days, the Sabres made the decision to hold a brief, competitive skate this morning with drills geared toward battling around the net as a result of Monday's loss in Seattle. Ruff said the team also had a lengthy meeting prior to the skate.

“We need to learn and take game day to learn to compete around the front of the net,” he said. “Yesterday wasn’t acceptable.”

Storylines

1. About Monday afternoon

Jack Quinn gave Buffalo an early 1-0 lead, but Seattle tied the game 27 seconds later. Tage Thompson completed a two-goal comeback, tying it 3-3 in the second period, but Seattle regained the lead 56 seconds later and ultimately won 6-4.

“The good was we battled back,” said Sabres coach Lindy Ruff. “The bad was, as soon as we battled back, we gave up one.”

“Battle” was the word of the evening, as Ruff attributed the goals against – five on goalie Devon Levi, one into an empty net – to lost puck battles by Buffalo.

“Almost 90 percent of their opportunities were on the hands of us not winning a battle,” Ruff added.

Seattle held an edge in 5-on-5 shot attempts (54-50), shots on goal (31-22) and high-danger scoring chances (10-7), per Natural Stat Trick.

2. The third line

Quinn, Zach Benson and Peyton Krebs have emerged as a highly effective third line of late.

With that trio on the ice at 5-on-5 over the last five games, Buffalo has held a 65-percent share of shot attempts and led 22-11 in scoring chances. For the season, more broadly, those figures are 63 percent and 28-15 in 49:03 of ice time.

Krebs has six points (1+5) in his last 10 games after a two-assist performance at Seattle. Benson has six points (4+2) in his last 12. And Quinn has matched Jason Zucker’s team-leading eight goals since Dec. 15.

All three forwards have regularly moved up and down the lineup for much of the season. Their driving play on a line together, along with the recent uptick in scoring, is a great sign for the Sabres.

3. Scouting the Canucks

When the Sabres lost 4-3 in overtime to the Canucks on Nov. 29, much of the postgame talk centered around defenseman Quinn Hughes. The reigning Norris Trophy winner recorded two assists, including a primary one after controlling the 3-on-3 overtime period.

At 5-on-5 this season overall, Vancouver has held a 49-percent share of both shot attempts and goals. But with Hughes on the ice, those numbers jump to 58 percent of shot attempts and 61 percent of goals. His 50 points (12+38) lead the Canucks by a wide margin and rank third among NHL blueliners.

Trade talks have swirled around top centers J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson for about a month, but they remain in Vancouver for now. At 31 and 29 points, respectively, both are on pace to fall well short of last season’s totals (103 for Miller, 89 for Pettersson).

Forward Conor Garland scored the overtime winner versus Buffalo as part of a three-point afternoon. He also has 31 points (11+20), tying Miller for second on the team.

Defenseman Tyler Myers, recently named to the Sabres’ Quarter-Century Second Team for his tenure in Buffalo from 2009-2015, will miss Tuesday’s contest due to a three-game suspension.

Vancouver has gone 8-8-7 since that Black Friday win at KeyBank Center and sits one point behind Calgary for the second Western Conference wild card spot.

Game notes

  • Alex Tuch has 16 points (4+12) in 17 career games versus Vancouver – including a third-period, game-tying goal Nov. 29.
  • Quinn has 13 points (8+5) in his last 15 games.
  • Zucker is tied for sixth in the NHL with nine power-play goals.