(SportsNetwork.com) – The Detroit Red Wings used a quick four-goal barrage to
roll to a second straight victory on Friday.
One goal might be enough against the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday evening.
The Red Wings kick off a three-game swing versus the Sabres having scored four
times in the first 15:28 of Friday’s 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings.
Gustav Nyquist scored a pair of power-play goals in the frame, while Pavel
Datsyuk and Tomas Tatar also scored.
Datsyuk added an assist and an empty-net goal, while both Henrik Zetterberg
and Niklas Kronwall had two assists. Jimmy Howard posted 28 saves as Detroit
improved to 5-1-1 in its past seven.
“It was a good start,” Detroit head coach Mike Babcock said. “We are going in
the right direction. We need to keep getting better.”
The Red Wings lost defenseman Kyle Quincey to an ankle injury in the first
period of the win and he won’t play tonight. Brian Lashoff will make his
season debut in place of Quincey, who is day-to-day and traveling with the
club on this road trip.
Forward Johan Franzen, meanwhile, is in line to return for the Red Wings today
after missing the previous six games with a groin injury.
Detroit will shoot for another fast start against a Buffalo team that is last
in the NHL with just 12 goals in 12 games. The Sabres have been shut out five
times already this season, including last night in Pittsburgh.
The Penguins scored three power-play goals to hand the Sabres a 5-0 setback,
with Jhonas Enroth making 29 saves on 34 shots faced.
“It’s a consistency problem,” Sabres defenseman Mike Weber said. “It’s a
continued frustration from years previous that for whatever reason we can’t
get out of our game.”
Buffalo has lost three straight and nine of 11 to start the season (2-9-1) and
begins a four-game homestand tonight looking for its first victory as the host
(0-4-1).
The Sabres, though, have lost eight straight against the Red Wings, including
all four meetings last season against their new Atlantic Division rival.
Buffalo has not beaten Detroit since Oct. 13, 2009 at home, losing four
straight as the host in this series since.
