NHL Game Preview: Buffalo Sabres at Vegas Golden Knights with Line Combinations 1/4/2025

Buffalo Sabres (14-20-5, 33 pts) at Vegas Golden Knights (26-9-3, 55 pts)

Venue: T-Mobile Arena
Date: Saturday, January 4
Time: 10:00 pm ET
TV: ESPN+ /MSG-B/SCRIPPS
Radio:
Buffalo – 550 WGR
Vegas – Fox Sports Radio 98.9 FM / 1340 AM

DraftKings Sportsbook Betting Lines:

Buffalo +1.5 ML +160
Vegas: -1.5 ML -192
O/U 6.5

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Buffalo Sabres News & Notes:

The Sabres dropped their second straight game as they lost to the Colorado Avalanche 6-5 in overtime. They are 3-7-1 in their last ten; they had won three straight following their 13-game losing streak. In the last ten, they’ve been outscored 42-36. In the last five games they’ve averaged 4.8 goals per game while allowing three goals per game.

Vegas Golden Knights News & Notes:

The Golden Knights got back in the win column on Thursday after seeing their six-game winning streak snapped. Ilya Samsonov has won five straight starts posting a 1.00 goals-against average and a .948 save percentage. In Thursday’s wins, they got goals from Pavel Dorofeyev, Alexander Holtz, Tanner Pearson, Mark Stone, and Nicolas Hague.

Buffalo Sabres Projected Lines

Zucker-Cozens-Thompson-
Quinn-Kulich-Tuch
Benson-Krebs-Peterka
Malenstyn-McLeod-Lafferty

Dahlin-Byram
Samuelsson-Power
Bryson-Clifton

Luukkonen
Reimer

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Buffalo Hockey – Inside The Rink

Vegas Golden Knights Projected Lines:

Olofsson-Eichel-Stone
Hertl-Karlsson-Dorofeyev
Pearson-Howden-Kolesar
Rondbjerg-Schwindt-Holtz

Hanifin-Pietrangelo
McNabb-Theodore
Hague-Whitecloud

Hill
Samsonov

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Players To Watch:

Buffalo Sabres

Dylan Cozens this season has 20 points on eight goals and 12 assists. He’s faced the Golden Knights six times in his career recording eight points on three goals and five assists; he had five points last season against the Golden Knights on three goals and two assists.

Vegas Golden Knights

William Karlsson this season has 17 points on seven goals and ten assists. He’s faced the Sabres 20 times in his career recording 16 points on five goals and 11 assists; he had a goal last season against Buffalo.

Injury Report:

Buffalo Sabres

LW Jordan Greenway – IR

Vegas Golden Knights

D Ben Hutton – IR
F Ivan Barbashev – DTD
F Nicholas Roy – DTD

Next Game:

Buffalo – January 6 vs. Washington Capitals
Vegas – January 7 at San Jose Sharks

ITR 31: Let Them Fight – Inside The Rink

Join Conrad and Chris to discuss WHL expansion, Thatcher Demko returning from IR, Gabe Viladri out week-to-week, Gabriel Landeskog a full practice participant, and the NHL referees stopping a goalie fight. Join in on all this and MUCH more!

1. ITR 31: Let Them Fight 01:03:52
2. ITR 30: Down The Stretch 59:42
3. ITR 29: Trade Deadline Review 01:02:40
4. ITR 28: Deadline Week 44:07
5. ITR 27: Trade Season Begins 01:07:33