Game Preview 33 & Open Thread: Sabers vs. Maple Leafs

1. Dirty Dozen

Buffalo has another chance to stop its winning streak. The streak currently stands at 11 games. The last time the team found itself in this situation was during its historic 18-game winning streak in 2021. This season, head coach Ralph Kruger was fired after 12 straight losses. While it would be surprising for Lindy Ruff to receive a pink slip after just 33 games, they should avoid as many parallels with the 2021 team as possible.

2. Dahlin’s return

On the bright side, Buffalo’s captain will be back in action. Dahlin has missed the last seven games with back spasms. To say the team has missed him over the past two weeks would be a massive understatement. Despite the missed time, Dahlin is still in 6th place^Th He’s on the team with 19 points, just one point behind Owen Power, who hasn’t missed a game, for the lead among defensemen. The plan is for him to return to the number one power play unit, and Ruff will be relied upon to play as many minutes as his body can handle. This team needs a positive change and Dahlin is the best internal reinforcement they could hope for.