Buffalo Sabres News

Georgiev is riding a three-game winning streak and will return to the crease on Monday against the Montreal Canadiens. In his last eight games (7-1-0), Georgiev has held the opposition to three or fewer goals six times, posting a .899 SV%. As evident from his season totals, Georgiev should continue to regular record victories but will likely have a pedestrian save percentage on most nights. Georgiev and the Avalanche are sizeable -197 road favourites on Monday.

Luukkonen was terrific on Saturday, saving 22 of 23 shots (.957 SV%), but received no goal support in a 1-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks. Luukkonen has been terrific lately, allowing three or fewer goals in each of his last four starts (3-1-0), posting a .938 SV%, and has a favourable matchup on Monday against the low-scoring San Jose Sharks.

Samuelsson played only 7:25 time on ice before exiting Saturday's game against the Vancouver Canucks with an upper-body injury. Henri Jokiharju will enter the Sabres' lineup on Monday as his replacement.

Timmins will likely see his first game action since December 21st as he was absent from the team's optional morning skate on Sunday. Mark Giordano, who was skating with the Leafs' regular scratches Sunday morning, will likely sit to make room for Timmins.

Thompson managed to score two points (2G / 0A) in an eventual 5-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators but exited the contest after playing only 12:27 time-on-ice with an undisclosed injury. Thompson already missed a significant portion of the season earlier with an upper-body injury and was finally starting to get his game in order with 12 points (7G / 5A) in his last nine games after scoring six (2G / 4A) in his previous 13. Thompson's potential absence from the lineup would be a crushing blow for a Sabres offence already without Jeff Skinner (upper-body).

Norris did not play on Thursday due to an upper-body injury and has been ruled out of Saturday's contest against the San Jose Sharks as he is day-to-day. The 24-year-old Norris is amid a seven-game pointless skid but was having a decent season before then with 20 points (8G / 12A) in his first 26 games.

Jones was a late addition to Thursday's lineup after Mika Zibanejad left warmups with an undisclosed injury. Jones will draw in as the Rangers will opt to dress seven defensemen in Zibanejad's absence.

Luukkonen will start for only the third time in the last seven games for the Sabres despite being terrific in his last two. Luukkonen has saved 58 of the last 61 shots he's faced (.951 SV%), winning both contests, snapping a previous skid of six straight losses (0-5-1) where he had an abysmal .839 SV%. The Sabres are -120 home favourites on Thursday against an Ottawa Senators club that has lost four straight, scoring three or fewer goals in each contest.

Since Lyon returned shortly after the Christmas break, the Red Wings have bounced back from a 1-5-0 skid in his absence with a 4-1-0 record in their last five, all games that Lyon has started. Lyon has undoubtedly been the most reliable netminder for the Red Wings this season, as is evident from his .921 SV% over his last three games (3-0-0). That said, the Red Wings are +144 home underdogs against a tough opponent in the Edmonton Oilers, among the league's hottest teams and are riding an eight-game winning streak.

Norris finished Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the Calgary Flames but will be unavailable for Thursday's tilt against the Buffalo Sabres as he is being evaluated for an upper-body injury. The 24-year-old Norris is amid a seven-game pointless skid but was having a decent season before then with 20 points (8G / 12A) in his first 26 games.

Luukkonen will likely start for only the third time in the last seven games for the Sabres despite being terrific in his last two. Luukkonen has saved 58 of the last 61 shots he's faced (.951 SV%), winning both contests, snapping a previous skid of six straight losses (0-5-1) where he had an abysmal .839 SV%. The Sabres are -120 home favourites on Thursday against an Ottawa Senators club that has lost four straight, scoring three or fewer goals in each contest.

Zucker served the final game of his three-game suspension on Tuesday and will return to the lineup on Thursday against the Calgary Flames. Zucker had been held without a point in seven of his last eight games before being suspended.