With Conor Timmins (lower body) returning from a prolonged absence, Metsa will be the odd man out of the lineup as a healthy scratch. The 27-year-old Metsa has been effective in his first NHL season as a bottom-pair defenseman, recording six points (2G / 4A) and a +20 plus/minus in 38 games.
Timmins has not played since mid December after suffering a broken leg, but has been cleared to return. The 27-year-old defenseman was averaging 19:14 time-on-ice and had six assists in 33 games before his injury. Zach Metsa will be a healthy scratch to accommodate Timmins' return.
Luukkonen was tremendous in his previous outing, saving 26 of 27 shots (.963 SV%) in a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings, and has been consistently reliable for weeks. The 27-year-old Finnish goalie has allowed two or fewer goals in nine of his last 10 appearances (7-2-0), posting a solid 2.19 GAA and .925 SV%. The only game he allowed more than two was a forgettable outing in which he allowed seven goals on 28 shots (.750 SV%), but he still salvaged an 8-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Sabres enter Wednesday's contest as -193 home favourites against a Boston Bruins team that played last night and lost 4-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Samuelsson was absent from practice on Tuesday and it is unclear what his status is heading into Wednesday's game against the Boston Bruins. The 26-year-old Samuelsson is having a terrific season, playing primarily alongside Rasmus Dahlin, tallying 39 points (12G / 27A) through 68 games.
Samuelsson was absent from practice on Tuesday and it is unclear what his status is heading into Wednesday's game against the Boston Bruins. The 26-year-old Samuelsson is having a terrific season, playing primarily alongside Rasmus Dahlin, tallying 39 points (12G / 27A) through 68 games.
Crevier will take a seat along with Andrew Mangiapane on Friday as the pair suffered undisclosed injuries in last night's game. Sam Lafferty and Dominic Toninato will draw into the lineup in their place.
The Sabres continue to win regardless of who tends the twine, coming off consecutive shutout victories, one with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and another with Alex Lyon between the pipes. The team will continue their goalie rotation on Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings, turning to Luukkonen, who saved all 29 shots he faced in his most recent outing for his first shutout of the season in a 2-0 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. The Finnish goalie has a 2.41 GAA and .919 SV% since late December, going 12-3-1.
Grzelcyk will slot right back into the Hawks lineup after serving as a healthy scrtach for the first time this season on Tuesday. Sam Lafferty will sit in his place.
The Sabres continue to win regardless of who tends the twine, coming off a 2-0 shutout victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, but they will revert to Lyon on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks. The 33-year-old Lyon has allowed three or fewer goals in 17 of his last 18 outings (16-2-0), posting an impressive 2.25 GAA and .921 SV%. The Sabres enter Thursday's contest as -142 road favourites against a Sharks team they defeated 6-3 earlier this month.
Samuelsson will draw right back into the Sabres lineup after sitting out Saturday's game against the Maple Leafs with an undisclosed injury. The 25-year-old defenseman is averaging 23:07 time-on-ice, recording 36 points (12G / 24A), 109 hits, and 130 blocks in 64 games this season.
Kozak will slot in for Alex Tuch, who is out with an illness. Kozak has appeared in 39 games this season, tallying two goals and two assists.
A third-round pick of the Sabres in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, McCarthy spent the last three seasons playing for Boston University. The 20-year-od blue-liner tallied eight goals and 42 assists across 113 career NCAA games.
The Sabres have evenly alternated goalies since returning from the Olympic break, and will continue that trend on Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Knights, with Luukkonen tending the twine. The 27-year-old Luukkonen was solid in his most recent game, saving 20 of 22 shots (.909 SV%), but came up short in a 2-1 loss to the Washington Capitals. The Sabres are 6-1-0 in Luukkonen's last seven starts. The Sabres enter Tuesday's contest as +119 road underdogs against a Golden Knights team that has outscored their opposition 10-2 in their last two games (2-0-0).
