Red Wings vs. Sabres: Notes, Lines, Goalies, How to Watch

The Atlantic Division-leading Detroit Red Wings (5-1) are away tonight to play the Buffalo Sabres (2-4-0)

Where: Buffalo’s KeyBank Center

When: 7:30 p.m.

TV/Radio: TNT/FanDuel Sports Network/97.1 FM

Odds: Detroit (+1.5,-275), Buffalo (-1.5, +200), ESPNBet

Hot: Dylan Larkin has a six-game points streak (5-6–11) to start the season

Not: Jonatan Berggren, 25, is the subject of trade rumors because he can’t secure a permanent place in the lineup.

Spotlight: Rookie Emmitt Finnie is coming off his first three-point game. He was also plus-3 in the overtime win against the Oilers

Absence: Patrick Kane will miss his second game with an undisclosed upper body injury. He isn’t on this two-game road trip.

Story: Todd McLellan said this morning that John Gibson will start in net.It feels like it’s his time to start, although that is not official…Larkin is looking to become the first Red Wings player to record consecutive four-point games since Brendan Shanahan did it in 1996-97.  If he extends his point streak to seven games, he will become the eighth active player to record at least two season-opening points streak of seven or more games…The Red Wings rank fourth in the NHL with a 92.3% penalty killing efficiency.

Detroit Projected Lines

Emmitt Finnie — Dylan Larkin — Lucas Raymond

Alex DeBrincat — Marco Kasper — Michael Brandsegg-Nygard or Elmer Soderblom

James van Riemsdyk–Andrew Copp — Michael Rasmussen

Mason Appleton — JT Compher — Jonatan Berggren

Defense Pairings

Ben Chiarot — Moritz Seider

Simon Edvinsson — Axel Sandin-Pellikka

Albert Johansson-Jacob Bernard-Docker –

Goalie

John Gibson (Cam Talbot backing up)

Buffalo

Story: The Sabres lost 4-2 to Montreal after a modest two-game winning streak… Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is in Rochester on a conditioning assignment…Former Red Wings goalie Alex Lyon has started every game for Buffalo, but backup Colten Ellis is starting today.  Lyon has played impressively well. He’s 2-4 with a 2.55 goals-against average and .924…Injuries: Center Josh Norris long-term upper body injury; Jacob Bryson, LW Luke Greenway and LW Beck Malenstyn are day-to-day…CBS Sports reports that LW Michael Kesselring is out until Nov. 1.

Projected Lines

Zach Benson — Jiri Kulich — Tage Thompson

Josh Doan — Ryan McLeod — Alex Tuch

Jason Zucker — Peyton Krebs — Jack Quinn

Mason Geertsen — Tyson Kozak — Josh Dunne

Defense Pairings

Bowen Byram — Rasmus Dahlin

Owen Power — Conor Timmins

Mattias Samuelsson — Zach Metsa

Colten Ellis making his first NHL start (Alex Lyon backing up)