NHL Game Preview: Buffalo Sabres at Utah Hockey Club with Line Combinations 3/20/2025

Buffalo Sabres at Utah Hockey Club

Venue: Delta Center
Date: Thursday, March 20
Time: 9:00 pm EST
TV: ESPN+ / Utah16 / MSG-B
Radio:
Buffalo – 550 WGR
Utah – The KSL Sports Zone 1280 AM / 97.5 FM

DraftKings Sportsbook Betting Lines:
Buffalo +1.5 -170
Utah -1.5 ML +142
O/U 5.5

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Buffalo Sabres News & Notes:

Buffalo currently holds the 4th best odds in the 2025 NHL Draft, which is not ideally where they wanted to be. Since the Dylan Cozens for Josh Norris trade, Norris has only skated in three games, tallying a goal and an assist. With rumors circling about Rasmus Dahlin being unhappy with the direction of the franchise, Buffalo has some soul-searching to do.

Utah Hockey Club News & Notes:

While Utah is still using for a playoff berth, the franchise seemingly has eyes on a new permanent team name. The club has recently filed an extension on a trademark for ‘Utah Mammoth.’ The Club still has Mammoth, Outlaws, and Hockey Club in the trademark process.

Buffalo Sabres Projected Lines:

Greenway-Thompson-Tuch
Benson-McLeod-Zucker
Murray-Krebs-Quinn
Malenstyn-Kozak-Lafferty

Samuelsson-Dahlin
Power-Byram
Clifton-Bryson

Luukkonen
Reimer

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Buffalo Hockey – Inside The Rink

Utah Hockey Club Projected Lines:

Keller-Cooley-Schmaltz
Carcone-Hayton-Guenther
Crouse-McBain-Doan
Kerfoot-Stenlund-Maccelli

Sergachev-Marino
Maatta-Durzi
Cole-Kesselring

Vejmelka
Stauber

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Players To Watch:

Buffalo Sabres

Tage Thompson has three goals and five points in the last five games. Bowen Byram has four assists in the last five games.

Utah Hockey Club 

Nick Schmaltz has two goals and four points in the last five games. Clayton Keller and Dylan Guenther are in a scoring race, tied with 24 goals each this season.

Injury Report:

Buffalo Sabres

RW JJ Peterka – Day to day
C Josh Norris – Day to day
C Jiri Kulich – Day to day

Utah Hockey Club

D Robert Bortuzzo – IR   
G Connor Ingram – Out Indefinitely (NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program)
C Liam O’Brien – Out 4-6 Weeks

Next Game

Buffalo Sabres – March 22 at Minnesota Wild
Utah Hockey Club– March 22 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

ITR 30: Down The Stretch – Inside The Rink

Join Conrad and Chris as they discuss the NHL General Managers Meetings, Connor Bedard's antics, Mikko Rantanen returning to Colorado, Gabriel Landeskog resumes skating with the team, Ovechkin's Gr8 Chase, and NHL Playoff updates.

1. ITR 30: Down The Stretch 59:42
2. ITR 29: Trade Deadline Review 01:02:40
3. ITR 28: Deadline Week 44:07
4. ITR 27: Trade Season Begins 01:07:33
5. ITR 26: 2 Nations Fighting 42:17