Sharpen Up: January 18, 2022 | Sabres conclude back-to-back set in Ottawa

It's another Buffalo Sabres game night.
The team is in Ottawa tonight to face the Senators.
Catch the action on MSG and WGR 550. Pregame coverage on MSG starts at 6:30 p.m. with faceoff set for 7. Due to capacity restrictions in Ontario, there will be no fans in attendance tonight at Canadian Tire Centre.
Here's what you need to know.

Last night's recap

From the Postgame Report:
Things seemed to be going the Buffalo Sabres' way Monday afternoon until a power-play opportunity midway through the third period.
The Sabres had just scored to make it 2-0 and the Detroit Red Wings lost a challenge for goaltender interference, putting Buffalo on the power play. However, a minute into the man advantage, Vladislav Namestnikov scored shorthanded.
"We just didn't manage the situation well," Sabres coach Don Granato said. "It's growing pains, simple as that. At some point, you gain the situational awareness to have a greater sense of objective here. The last thing you should be doing is complicating things on a power play at that point. It should be simple and direct."

Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin tied the game with 6:32 left and then potted another in overtime to lift the Red Wings to a 3-2 victory at KeyBank Center.
"It's tough to give up a shorthanded (goal) there after we just scored, but in the third period, you've got a lead, you've got a power play, you have to find a way to close those games out," Sabres forward Jeff Skinner, who recorded a goal and an assist, said. "Not just tonight, but overall this season, we haven't done a good enough job of that. We've got to fix that."

Aaron Dell stopped 32 shots while Alex Nedeljkovic made 26 saves for the Red Wings. Henri Jokiharju scored Buffalo's other goal.
With defenseman Jacob Bryson out with an upper-body injury and Colin Miller on injured reserve with an injury of his own, 21-year-old rookie Mattias Samuelsson made his season debut Monday afternoon.
He skated 18:32, including 0:47 on the penalty kill, and recorded two blocked shots. He played 12 games for the Sabres at the end of last season, which included the first game of his NHL career.
Click here to read the full recap.
After the game, the team announced that assistant coach Jason Christie had entered the NHL's COVID-19 protocol.

Tonight's matchup

The Senators last played on Saturday and rallied back to beat Edmonton 6-4 on the road. Drake Batherson, who will represent the club at All-Stat Weekend, leads the team in scoring with 30 points and Josh Norris has a team-high 16 goals.
Let's look at the Game Notes:
• This is the first of four meetings between the Sabres and Senators this season.
• Last meeting: Ottawa defeated Buffalo 7-4 in Ottawa on Feb. 18, 2020.
• Next meeting: Tuesday, Jan. 25 in Ottawa.
• The Sabres are 4-6-0 in their last 10 games against the Senators; 4-4-2 on the road.
• This is the 146th game all-time between Buffalo and Ottawa; Buffalo has a 70-55-20 series record.
• The Sabres are 31-31-12 on the road against the Senators all-time.
• Vinnie Hinostroza has recorded seven points (2+5) in seven career games against the Senators.
• In four career games against Ottawa, Victor Olofsson has notched five points (2+3).
• Alex Tuch has five points (3+2) in five career games against the Senators.
• Will Butcher has four points (1+3) in his last four games against Ottawa.
• Tonight's game wraps up Buffalo's eighth of 16 sets of back-to-back games this season, which began with a 3-2 overtime loss vs. Detroit yesterday.
• The Sabres are 3-4-1 in the first game of back-to-back sets and 0-3-4 in the second game so far this season.
• Buffalo's point breakdown in back-to-back sets this season is: four points (0), three points (2), two points (1), one point (2) and zero points (2).