1. Special Teams Battle
Though the Sabres’ third-ranked power-play was stymied by the Philadelphia Flyers this past weekend, they are still an extremely dangerous unit. On the flipside, the Rangers have one of the best penalty-kill units in the NHL this season.
The even-strength woes in Buffalo are well documented. On the year, they’re averaging a sliver more than one goal per game at five-on-five. Even against a less intimidating foe like the Rangers, the Sabres man-advantage unit will need to convert on their opportunities.
2. Krueger in Hot Water?
Following back-to-back shoutout losses this weekend, Ralph Krueger’s seat probably started feeling a little warm. It goes without saying that the Sabres’ current record is not reflective of the expectations that the organization had in place after adding Taylor Hall in the offseason.