Detroit Red Wings vs. Buffalo Sabres 10/26

Overview

BIG WIN! I love that this team cares about these important early games in the season after coming so close last year. Captain Larkin said in a presser after the game that they didn’t realize how important these little runs were because of their young team, so to see them correcting that mistake is huge. I was a little nervous in the first period because the Devils were skating all over them. We knew they were a fast team, but it seemed like they were skating circles around us. That first goal snapped them out of it because they came to play after. Fischer and Debrincat came down at the end of the period to score two quick ones 25 seconds apart to take the lead. It was a pretty physical game with a couple of fights breaking out, along with nine total powerplays. After the 2-1 lead, the next four goals were all scored on the powerplay. I think someone important is reading these blogs because the PP1 unit came out and had a great game, and I feel that was the reason we were able to get it done.

On the current three-game win streak, we must stay vigilant against a surging Sabres team. With a 3-2 record against the Sabres in our last 5 matchups, and both teams being fairly young, there's a nice little rivalry building between the two teams. As someone who was born in Detroit, but grew up in Buffalo, this matchup gets a little personal for me too. Another bright spot the other day was we were able to hit our 2u parlay, which jumps us right back up to +5 units overall. Like the Red Wings, I am hoping to build off the recent picks this afternoon in Buffalo, NY.

Predictions

The best part about the Devils game in my opinion was the empty net goal scored by Rasmussen. While a part of me will always love the Hughes family for being Wolverines, it was so satisfying to see him drop Jack while scoring his goal. The Wings brought a ton of physicality to that game, and I expect that in Buffalo as well. I believe Lyon will be getting the nod in net, and it seems like he and Talbot are going to continue to switch off each game to stay fresh. Considering that it has worked well as of late, I don’t hate the decision, but I would like to see Lalonde mix it up a bit. The Sabres are young and sporadic, so laying the body early to set the tone is crucial. My good friend Alex Jones believes the Sabres are the team of the future, so I’m looking forward to the Wings reminding him who that team actually is.

Due to hitting nicely on the last game, I’m going back to the Berggren bet. With Compher still likely to be out this game, Berggy is going to continue to get more opportunities. I know the goal is coming, but it is just a matter of when, and I believe that today is that day. I’m more looking forward to watching this game, so I didn’t want to complicate the picks too much, that is why I am going to just look for the Wings to win their fourth straight. This game could go a million different ways, so the safest bet is to just pick the money line, as they are underdogs for some reason.

Picks

Jonatan Berggren o0.5 goals +450 (0.5u)

Red Wings ML +125 (1.5u)