A lot like previous years, special teams are of note for Minnesota. It comes into tonight’s contest as one of six teams in the NHL to not allow a power play goal, going a perfect 7-7 on penalty kill opportunities. Buffalo enters tonight ranked 29th in the league on the penalty kill, allowing two goals on five chances (60%). The Sabres have also not scored a power play goal in their two games, starting the year 0-5. Minnesota on the other hand, has scored three power play goals in its first two games, ranking T-5th in the league early into the season.
Jesper Wallstedt is expected to get his third start of the season for Minnesota tonight, as he has looked excellent through his first two outings of the young campaign. He enters with a 2-0-0 record with a 1.01 GAA and a .957 SV% and has stopped all 10 shots he has faced while the Wild has been a man down. This would be Wallstedt’s first career game against Buffalo. For the Sabres, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is the expected starter. Like Wallstedt, Luukkonen has also started both of the first two games for Buffalo, going 1-1-0 with a 4.03 GAA and a .784 SV%. In his career against Minnesota, Luukkonen is 3-2-2 with a 2.78 GAA and a .913 SV% in seven starts.
Players to Watch:
Matt Boldy: The skilled forward is yet to record a point on the young season but expect to see that change tonight. The opportunities have been there, but he is yet to capitalize. He has nine shots in two games and was robbed of a shorthanded breakaway attempt on Saturday against Boston. He owns six points (1-5=6) in eight career games against Buffalo, including a point (1-3=4) in three consecutive contests.
Kirill Kaprizov: Tonight marks career game No. 400 for Kaprizov. Minnesota’s all-time leading goal scorer will look to push his goal streak to three games, as he enters tonight with 14 points (7-7=14) in nine career games against the Sabres and has scored a goal in six of those matchups. It’s the first time Kaprizov has started a season with a multiple-game goal streak.
