Sabres seek quicker start against Mammoth
Buffalo has fallen behind in the first period of all four games and faces a Utah team coming off a 6-1 loss in Boston.
The Buffalo Sabres have a problem they know how to describe: they keep falling behind early. They will try to fix it Saturday against the Utah Mammoth at KeyBank Center, with the puck dropping at 7 p.m. ET.
The game continues a five-game homestand for Buffalo, which will wear black and red for the first time this season. Both teams are coming off losses. The Sabres were shut out 4-0 at home by Dallas on Thursday, and the Mammoth lost 6-1 in Boston.
Buffalo is 2-2-0 and has trailed in the first period of each of its four games. The chances are there, though. The Sabres rank fifth in the NHL in 5-on-5 scoring chances per 60 minutes.
"Our starts have to be better," coach Lindy Ruff said after Thursday's game. "We have to start putting the puck in the back of the net early."
Utah arrives with one of the league's most productive early-season offences, even after the Boston setback. The Mammoth scored four or more goals in each of their first three wins. Through four games, their power play was clicking at 61.5 percent (8-for-13), and Nick Schmaltz opened the season with a goal in each of his first four games.
Against the Bruins, Utah went 0-for-7 on the power play and 1-for-4 on the penalty kill.
The Sabres did not practise Friday, so lineup updates will follow the 10:30 a.m. morning skate. Pregame coverage on MSG, the Sabres broadcast market TV home, begins at 6:30 p.m.
