Sabres pregame: Power play on a roll entering matchup with Ducks

ANAHEIM Looking ahead to faceoff ...

Matchup: Sabres (9-9-1) vs.

Ducks (8-8-2) Where: Honda Center When: Friday at 10 p.m., Eastern.

Projected goalies: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (7-4-1, .909/2.61) vs.

Lukas Dostal (5-6-2, .924/2.69) Lindy Ruff joked during the Sabres' 0-for-22 start on the power play earlier this season that he was certain his team would score on the man-advantage before the end of 2024.

He was frustrated.

His players were frustrated.

But one of the NHL's all-time winningest coaches insisted that the Sabres were on the verge of a breakthrough.

Entering Thursday, only two teams had a power-play percentage since Oct.

26 better than Buffalo, which has scored on 29.7% of its opportunities over its last 11 games.

The Sabres have a power-play goal in seven consecutive games and 10 of their last 11.

They've continued that run despite playing the past three games without Tage Thompson, their leading scorer.

It was the difference Wednesday night in Los Angeles, when Jason Zucker tipped Rasmus Dahlin's shot past goalie David Rittich for the game-winning goal only 38 seconds into the third period.

The Sabres' next opponent, Anaheim, has the fourth-worst penalty kill in the NHL this season, even though the Ducks have the fourth-fewest penalty minutes.

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (26) celebrates a goal during the third period against the Montreal Canadiens at the KeyBank Center on Monday, Nov.

11, 2024.

Injury watch We won't have news on Thompson's availability until after the Sabres' morning skate Friday, which does not begin until approximately 2:30 p.m.

Eastern.

It's possible, if not likely, he won't return until Saturday in San Jose because the Sabres will want to avoid playing him in a back-to-back situation.

Ryan McLeod delivered another encouraging performance in Los Angeles, though nearly half of his 16:14 of ice time occurred during Buffalo's five penalty kills.

Jiri Kulich received an audition at center, but he played a team-low 9:58 in the win.

He's likely to stick there for at least one more game if Thompson doesn't return, as the Sabres' only alternative is Sam Lafferty, who's a better fit at right wing.

It's also important to monitor Alex Tuch's status.

Though the first-line right wing led Sabres forwards in ice time (22:23) against the Kings, he's dealing with an injury that requires maintenance.

Luukkonen made 23 saves to earn his sixth career shutout, but hes not the only one who deserves credit for frustrating the Kings.

Sabres winger Jordan Greenway remains week to week with an injury.

Opponent outlook The Ducks have won three in a row and four of their last five, a step in the right direction for a rebuilding franchise that's relying on young talent to flourish.

They've allowed three or fewer goals in four of their last five games, but their No.

1 goalie, Lukas Dostal, bails them out.

He leads the league in goals saved above expected and expected goals against, according to MoneyPuck.com .

Captain Don't let Dahlin's penalties distract you from the impact that he's making in the offensive zone.

His five goals were tied for second among all NHL defensemen entering Thursday.

Only three defensemen had more points than Dahlin's 17: Cale Makar (27), Josh Morrissey (19) and Quinn Hughes (19).

Ten defensemen were averaging more time on ice per game than Dahlin (24:40) and he was tied for seventh in shots on goal.

The Sabres' captain has a seven game point streak, and he's produced five goals with 15 points in his last 11 games.

During that span, he's averaging 25:05 of ice time and he has 39 shots on goal.

Waiting game The on-ice results haven't been there yet for Dylan Cozens.

He has three goals and seven points with a minus-7 rating through 19 games.

His line hasn't had success at 5-on-5 recently either, as the Sabres have been outscored 7-4 in those situations over their last six games.

The underlying numbers, and eye test, suggest that Cozens is trending up, though.

With Cozens on the ice since Nov.

7, the Sabres have the edge in 5-on-5 shot attempt differential (53.68%), expected goal share (52.8%) and scoring chances (36-31).

His 10 shots on goal are second on the team, trailing only Dahlin (13), and he's third in individual shot quality.

It's not a coincidence that you're seeing Cozens on the ice in high-leverage situations.

Ruff trusts him.

And, while the Sabres need Cozens to produce, he's playing much better than he was a month ago.

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