We only have 5 games going tonight in the NHL with some decent matchups. The slate is headlined by the “Battle of Alberta” where the Oilers will take on the Flames. The Oilers are battling for a playoff position while the Flames look to expand their lead on the rest of the Pacific. I’ll breakdown the game between the Panthers and Sabres, and give out a few more plays at the end of the article.
Florida Panthers @ Buffalo Sabres
- Time: 7:00 PM ET
- TV Coverage: ESPN+, MSG-B, BSFL
- Florida Panthers: 37-13-5, 1st Atlantic (12-7-5 Away)
- Buffalo Sabres: 18-31-8, 6th Atlantic (9-15-4 Home)
| Team | Opening ML | Current ML | Spread | Total |
| Florida Panthers | -255 | -275 | -1.5 (-110) | o6.5 (-120) |
| Buffalo Sabres | +205 | +225 | +1.5 (-110) | u6.5 (+100) |
Trends:
- The total has gone OVER in 8 of Florida’s last 11 games.
- Florida are 14-6 SU in their last 20 games.
- The total has gone OVER in 9 of Buffalo’s last 13 games.
- Buffalo are 3-13 SU in their last 16 games at home.
Previous Matchups:
- Dec 21, 2021: Buffalo Sabres (4) @ Florida Panthers (7)
- BUF +250, FLA -300, O/U 6.0
Preview:
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are 6-4 in their last 10 games, but have struggled a bit as of late. They’ve won their last two games, knocking off Ottawa and Detroit. However, prior to that, they lost three straight at home which is very uncharacteristic of this team. The Panthers, along with Colorado, are the two best teams at home so to see them drop three in a row at FLA Live Arena was very shocking. They’ll take on the Sabres tonight before heading to Pittsburgh tomorrow to take on the Penguins.
The Panthers rank 1st in Goals For per game averaging 4.09. They’re led by Jonathan Huberdeau who has 76 points in 55 games. He’s currently three points behind McDavid and Draisaitl who lead the league. In Florida’s last 10 games, they’ve actually been better offensively averaging 4.30 Goals For per game. They have the best Goals % in the NHL with a 58.98%. This team leads the league in Shots on Goal per game, averaging 37.0, but have averaged 39.20 in their last 10. Buffalo gives up the third most shots on goal, so I would expected this number to continue to trend upward after this game. The Panthers Power Play ranks 14th, and has scored at least two goals on the man advantage in their last three games.
Defensively, the Panthers have struggled as of late giving up an average of 3.30 Goals Against in their last 10 games. On the season, they only average 2.91 per game which ranks 15th. They do allow the 12th most shots on goal against averaging 31.0 but have only allowed an average of 26.40 in their last 10. Florida’s Penalty Kill is middle of the road ranking 16th. They aren’t a very disciplined team and have taken at least two penalties a game in their last 10. This isn’t a major concern tonight as Buffalo doesn’t have the best Power Play but something they’ll definitely need to address coming down the stretch before playoffs.
Florida has not confirmed who’s in net yet, so we’re unsure if it’ll be Sergei Bobrovsky or Spencer Knight. Knight was recently recalled from Florida’s AHL affiliate, so I’m assuming he will start. His last start was back on February 1st, where he allowed 4 goals on 34 shots.
Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres are coming off a 3-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings last night. They were only able to generate 19 shots which isn’t great but the Kings do average the least amount of shots on goal allowed. Prior to last nights game, the Sabres won their last two defeating the Minnesota Wild and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Buffalo is 24th averaging 2.70 Goals For per game but has averaged 3.30 in their last 10 games. Tage Thompson leads the team with 42 points in 52 games. He struggled last year on the wing but his move to center has really provided his game with a spark. Jeff Skinner has also looked better as of late but not $9 Million a year good. The Sabres average 29.9 Shots on Goal per game but have bumped that number up to 34.40 in their last 10. Their Power Play ranks 18th in the NHL but have scored at least one goal in two of their last three games.
Alex Tuch, who was one of the pieces acquired from the Golden Knights in the Jack Eichel trade has looked solid since coming to Buffalo. He’s provided this young team with some leadership and will be one of they key pieces moving forward along with Peyton Krebs, who was also part of that trade.
Defensively, the Sabres have been struggling all year, but especially as of late, allowing an average of 3.90 goals against in their last 10. They allow the third most Shots on Goal against averaging 34.2 per game. They’ve been slightly better recently but still average of 30 against in their last 10. Their Penalty Kill ranks 24th but has only allowed three goals in their last 10 games (19 attempts). They’ve had some injuries on defense this year including Butcher, Jokiharju, and Miller. Will Butcher and Collin Miller are slated to return this month.
Craig Anderson is expected to get the start in net as Dustin Tokarski started against the Kings last night. Anderson has started twice since returning from injury allowing 1 and 4 goals against. He struggled against Minnesota despite securing the win and looked great against the Leafs.
Pick:
- FLORIDA PANTHERS/ BUFFALO SABRES OVER 6.5 (-120) – BetMGM
- Given the way these teams have been trending offensively and defensively, this game should go over. Florida is a far superior team to the Buffalo Sabres, who are coming off a game last night. The Sabres aren’t necessarily great coming off back to back games, going 1-5-4. They’ve trended more towards the under in those games but I think they can put a few by Florida, especially if Knight gets the start. I’m not sure this game moves to 7.0, but I wouldn’t be shocked. The Panthers will most likely put up 4-5 by themselves so if the Sabres can get 2-3, this game should go over.
Other Plays on the Night:
- TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS/ COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS OVER 6.5 (-135) – BetMGM
- I’m fairly certain that this game will move to 7 before puck drop tomorrow. In TOR L10, they average 4.10 GF and 4.00 GA. In CBJ L10, they average 3.90 GF and 3.70 GA. Peter Mrazek has been confirmed as the starter for the Leafs. In his last two starts, he’s allowed 8 goals against combined. Elvis Merzlikins or J-F Berube will get the start for the Blue Jackets. Neither has been great as of late, so I’m not too worried about who gets the start for Columbus.
Best of luck, and as always you can find me on Twitter @GatorBetting and Instagram @Gator_Sports_Betting.
