Sharpen Up: October 13, 2018

The Sabres open up their longest road trip of the season - a five-game trek through Arizona, Vegas, San Jose, Los Angeles and Anaheim - tonight with a game against the Coyotes at Gila River Arena.
Faceoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET but you can tune in to the GMC Game Night pregame show starting at 8:30 on MSG. Dan Dunleavy and Rob Ray will call the action, which you can also hear on WGR 550.
Here's what you need to know.

Tonight's matchup

Courtesy of our good friends at @SabresPR…

• Kyle Okposo has 12 points (4+8) in 12 career games against the Coyotes, who are one of six teams Okposo has totaled at least a point per game against in his career (Arizona, Edmonton, Nashville, San Jose, Vancouver, Vegas).
• Jeff Skinner has five points (2+3) in his last five games against the Coyotes.
• Rasmus Ristolainen has totaled four points (1+3) in four career visits to Arizona.
• Jake McCabe enters tonight's game with an assist in each of his last three games against the Coyotes.

Friday's practice

It'll be the first regular-season road trip for rookie Rasmus Dahlin. Sabres.com caught up with him after practice and before the big trip. Check out the Ice Level Practice Report for the full story.
Rasmus Dahlin is aware of the charter flight, the nice hotels and the warm weather awaiting the Buffalo Sabres on the West Coast. Other than that, he admitted he had few ideas in terms of what to expect on his first NHL road trip.
It will be a doozy: five games spanning over nine days, including dates with four teams that were in the Western Conference playoffs last season. The lone exception is a visit to Arizona to kick off the trip on Saturday.
"To be honest, I have no idea what to expect," Dahlin said. "Just go and have fun."
Fun for the Sabres would mean rebounding from their loss to Colorado on Thursday and climbing back over the .500 mark. But there's also truth to the team-building aspect of an early-season road trip, especially for a roster featuring eight new players.
"He's just got to enjoy it," Sabres coach Phil Housley said. "He's really developed his game. There's always areas of improvement for a young player, but I like the way he's tried to attack the game and come in and try to add to our offense and good to see him get his first point."

Here's how the full lineup appeared at practice on Friday

43 Conor Sheary - 9 Jack Eichel - 23 Sam Reinhart
17 Vladimir Sobotka - 10 Patrik Berglund / 22 Johan Larsson - 72 Tage Thompson
53 Jeff Skinner - 37 Casey Mittelstadt - 21 Kyle Okposo
81 Remi Elie / 28 Zemgus Girgensons - 71 Evan Rodrigues - 29 Jason Pominville
6 Marco Scandella - 55 Rasmus Ristolainen
19 Jake McCabe - 26 Rasmus Dahlin
82 Nathan Beaulieu - 8 Casey Nelson
40 Carter Hutton
35 Linus Ullmark

Ullmark time?

We'll see Ullmark start between the pipes at some point on this trip, and it could happen as early as tonight. More from the Ice Level Practice Report...
"I'm not getting frustrated by sitting on the side," he said Friday. "As long as we're winning games, Hutts is playing good, I'm not going to be a sour guy and just be grumpy … I'm not going to do that, I'm not going to fall into that trap. I'm just going to be the same guy I always am. Supportive and very happy."
Waiting has been a change of pace for Ullmark, who's made at least 49 appearances in each of the last two seasons between Buffalo and Rochester. He's put in extra work to stay sharp in the meantime, which hasn't gone unnoticed.
"I just like the work that he's put into it," Housley said. "He's come to work every day, staying out late after practices, trying to battle for every puck, every second opportunity.
"I told him a couple days ago I really appreciate what he's doing, and I know the guys really appreciate that, that he's focusing on his body of work as far as his practice habits."