UPDATE (7:37 p.m.) – The Sabres have activated forward Victor Olofsson, defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, and assistant coach Matt Ellis from the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol. Forward Zemgus Girgensons has been placed on injured reserve.
DENVER – Dustin Tokarski will start in goal for the Sabres against the Colorado Avalanche tonight at Ball Arena. It will be his first appearance since entering the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol on Dec. 2.
The rest of the lineup is still to be determined based on the results of COVID-19 testing. Forward Victor Olofsson, defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, and assistant coach Matt Ellis – all of whom entered protocol on Saturday – have since received multiple negative tests.
Dahlin and Olofsson need one more negative test upon arriving in Denver to be eligible for the game. Asplund is also traveling to Denver but will not make it in time for puck drop.
Coverage on MSG begins at 7:30 p.m. EST. The puck drops at 8.
Here are five things to know.
1. The COVID situation
The Sabres placed Asplund, Dahlin, Olofsson, Ellis, and four additional members of the team’s traveling party in COVID protocol on Saturday. All eight individuals have since received multiple negative tests, confirming the previous results as false positives.
Dahlin and Olofsson will both be in the lineup providing they test negative upon arriving in Denver, general manager Kevyn Adams told reporters.
2. Lineup notes
Will Butcher is out after sustaining a lower-body injury early in Saturday’s game.
Granato said Tage Thompson is a game-time decision after briefly leaving with an injury during the first period on Saturday. He finished the game and tallied an assist for his team-leading 29th point.
3. Tokarski returns
Tokarski tested positive for COVID-19 and experienced what he described as moderate symptoms when the Sabres were in Florida in early December. He returned to practice with the team on Dec. 27 but lingering symptoms kept him from dressing for a game until Saturday, when he backed up Craig Anderson.
:Craig was great last night and we’ve got to be real good for Ticker here today,” Granato said.
4. The Krebs-Tuch connection
Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs each tallied a goal and an assist against Arizona on Saturday, including a give-and-go play that saw Krebs find Tuch with a low-to-high pass through traffic.
Krebs and Tuch finished the games as linemates along with Thompson.
“There’s definitely a chemistry, the level they’ve known each other,” Granato said.
“They talk a lot, they’ve had a long relationship, obviously, with both of them coming from Vegas. But they process the game more like elite athletes and elite hockey players. So, there’s got to be chemistry between them. I think really all the high-skilled guys see things in the same way, and they most definitely do from an offensive standpoint.”
Tuch is up to 12 points through his first 11 games with the Sabres. Only three players in franchise history had more through their first 11 contests after being acquired in a trade: Doug Gilmour (17), Pat LaFontaine (13), and Ryan O’Reilly (13).
5. Scouting the Avalanche
Colorado has won its last nine games overall and its last 17 contests at home. While the Avalanche boasts a high-octane offense full of star power – it ranks first in the NHL in goals per game (4.14) – its ability to prevent goals has been a signature of its winning streak.
The Avalanche has allowed 2.27 goals per game in January, the second-lowest mark in the NHL during that span. It’s a vast improvement from its season average (2.98), which ranks 18th.
“Their ability to limit goals goes hand in hand with their ability to keep the opposition on their heels because of their attack,” Granato said. “They’re so dynamic offensively that they just push you back all the time. You’re exhausted by the time you get the puck that you don’t have any energy left to jump to offense.
“Because they’re so prolific keeping the puck and making plays, they keep the opposition on their heels and you’re not going to generate a lot of offense when you’re on your heels, so we hope that’s different for us tonight.”
The Avalanche will be without All-Star forward Nathan MacKinnon, who sustained a fractured jaw and a concussion against Boston on Jan. 26. Nazem Kadri leads the team and is tied for third in the NHL with 58 points. Mikko Rantanen has a team-high 22 goals.
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