Buffalo Sabres (12-26-9) (8th, Atlantic) @

Edmonton Oilers (21-23-3) (6th, Pacific)

7 PM MDT

Rogers Place

TV: Sportsnet West

Radio: 630 CHED

SB Nation Opponent: Die By The Blade

BREAKDOWN

The Oilers ended their bye week by posting a 5-2 victory over Vancouver. Jesse Puljujarvi had a goal and two assists, while Pat Maroon had a goal and later added an empty netter. The Oilers are two games below a Bettman .500 and look to continue the good times against a Sabres team that picked up a W in Calgary last night.

Let’s go to the tape.

The Oilers are saying

“Not yet, I wait.”

Source

That’s Oilers forward Jesse Puljujarvi on Monday when asked whether or not he’s had a tongue-related injury despite playing with it out all the time.

It’s all fun and games when you’re putting the puck in the net. Jesse Puljujarvi had a minute and a half of power play time and thirteen and a half minutes of even strength time. A couple more three point efforts and he should be due some more ice.

The Sabres are saying

“I think that that’s the way we need to play in order to win...we did what we needed to do to win. Just need to find it on a consistent basis, that compete and that desperation shift in and shift out.”

Source

That’s Sabres forward Jack Eichel on his team’s performance in Calgary last night. Eichel served up the game winning goal in overtime. The win is just the twelfth win of the season for the Sabres.

Have some of this

• PUJU-POWER

I can watch this goal about sixteen times in a row. It’s perfect. The Oilers need this to hook up at least a couple of times every game for maximum effect.

• WHY ARE THE SABRES SO BAD? Three-plus years removed from their infamous ‘tank’ year, things haven’t gotten much better for the Sabres. Even with star players Jack Eichel (19-26-45 in 47 GP) Evander Kane (16-20-36 in 47 GP) and Ryan O’Reilly (11-20-31 in 47 GP), the team just can’t score to save their lives (31st, 2.23 goals per game). Only the Islanders are allowing more goals per game this year (30th, 3.45 goals allowed per game). The team has twelve wins. It’s been disastrous. And yes, this is the same Sabres club that took care of the Oilers by a 3-1 score this past November.
• Jujhar Khaira scored his eighth goal of his season in Edmonton’s 5-2 victory over the Canucks on Saturday. It’s his second point in three games.
• Cam Talbot picked up another W in Edmonton’s 5-2 victory over Vancouver. He’s likely to go tonight (17-16-2, .902 SV% / 3.08 GAA / 1 SO). Expect Robin Lehner (9-18-6, .907 SV% / 3.05 GAA / 1 SO) to go for the Sabres, as former Calgary Flame Chad Johnson picked up the W for Buffalo last night.
• SICK BAY: Edmonton is without Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (ribs). Buffalo will be without Zach Bogosian (lower body), Viktor Antipin (illness), Jacob Josefson (lower body) and Taylor Fedun (lower body)