The San Jose Sharks welcome the Buffalo Sabres to town this afternoon for a 1 p.m. game at SAP Center. It’s Pride Day at the Tank, which means there’s going to be a fun atmosphere. The Sharks are giving away rainbow bucket hats today to celebrate the local LGBTQIA+ community. It’s the culmination of a week of event supporting Pride.
The Sharks come into the game with a three-game winning streak, closing the gap between the Sharks and the other losing teams in the NHL. The Sabres have won one game, beating the slumping Los Angeles Kings 5-3 on Wednesday night. Buffalo’s inconsistent play to date in the season has left the team well outside of the playoff race.
The last time these two teams met was just a few weeks ago on Jan. 15, when the Sabres shutout the Sharks 3-0. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 28 shots and Casey Mittelstadt contributed on all three goals for the Sabres. Mittelstadt leads all Sabres skaters with 40 points this season, while Jeff Skinner leads the team with 17 goals.
The Sabres are trying to get healthy. Zemgus Girgensons is day-to-day and may not play today. Mattias Samuelsson will not play after suffering an upper-body injury. Erik Robinson practiced with the team yesterday, but will miss today’s game as well.
On the Sharks’ side of things, Shakir Mukhamadullin will make his NHL debut. The Sharks’ top defensive prospect has done well in his first full season as a professional in the AHL. Mukhamadullin has 26 points in 39 games, including 5 goals. He will be paired with Jan Rutta, which will allow him to make mistakes on the ice while a veteran backs him up.
San Jose Sharks lines versus Sabres
Other than the addition of Mukhamadulling, the defensive pairings are expected to be close to the same as last game. Mario Ferraro is still out, leaving Marc-Edouard Vlasic to fill the role of top defenseman. It’s been an interesting swing for Vlasic this season in terms of use by the coaching staff.
Here’s what the lines are expected to look like courtesy of The Daily Faceoff:
Forwards
Mike Hoffman – Tomas Hertl – Fabian Zetterlund
Alexander Barabanov – Logan Couture – Anthony Duclair
William Eklund – Nico Sturm – Luke Kunin
Filip Zadina – Ryan Carpenter – Justin Bailey
Defensemen
Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Ty Emberson
Shakir Mukhamadullin – Jan Rutta
Nikita Okhotiuk – Kyle Burroughs
Goaltenders
Mackenzie Blackwood
Kaapo Kahkonen
Buffalo Sabres lines for Jan. 27, 2024
Here’s what the Sabres website reports the lines will be today:
Forwards
Jeff Skinner – Tage Thompson – Kyle Okposo
Jordan Greenway – Casey Mittelstadt – Alex Tuch
Jack Quinn – Dylan Couzens – JJ Peterka
Zach Benson – Victor Olofsson – Peyton Krebs
Defensemen
Rasmus Dahlin – Jacob Bryson
Owen Power – Henri Jokiharju
Ryan Johnson – Connor Clifton
Goalies
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Devon Levi
How to watch Buffalo Sabres at San Jose Sharks Jan. 27, 2024
Sharks fans can watch the game on NBCSCA. It’s also available on ESPN+, though blackout restrictions might apply. Listen to the radio call on the Sharks Audio Network. You can visit sjsharks.com/listen to listen to the game or download the Sharks & SAP Center App presented by Western Digital.
For Sabres fans, tune in to MSG or MSG+ for the puck drop. There will be a 30 minute pregame before the game begins. You can also listen on WGR 550.
Game time is 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET. at SAP Center.
Be sure to check in here to talk about the in-game action and what’s happening around the NHL with the rest of the Fear the Fin community.
As many of you know, Fear the Fin is an independent site run by Sharks fans for Sharks fans. Help keep Fear the Fin independent by contributing to our