The Buffalo Sabres are back and other talking points on a busy NHL Monday
It is a busy Monday in the NHL and the return of the Buffalo Sabres is probably the headline act.
We have a feast of 10 games in the National Hockey League tonight, starting with the St. Louis Blues taking on the Arizona Coyotes once again at 4:00 p.m. ET. However, the biggest talking point of the night will be the long-awaited return of the Buffalo Sabres, who haven’t played since Jan. 31 due to a COVID-19 outbreak.
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Other storylines will be the potential return of superstar forward Steven Stamkos for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Patrick Kane looking to haunt the dreams of the Detroit Red Wings once again, the Dallas Stars trying to break out of their current slump, a couple of intriguing North Division showdowns and some serious star power to look out for throughout the night.
However, we are going to start things off by focussing on the Buffalo Sabres who will finally be back out on the ice tonight, hosting the New York Islanders in what is another big game in an ultra-competitive East Division. The Sabres have some catching up to do and they will look to mark their return with what would be a big win over an Islanders team who picked up a significant win over the weekend. So, without further ado, let’s delve right into tonight’s games!
Buffalo Sabres back in action and other talking points on an NHL Monday
Buffalo Sabres back in the New York Groove
Okay, so the Buffalo Sabres reside in Upstate New York and they are playing the New York Islanders, so referencing that famous song from Kiss seems only right. It is a huge night for the Sabres who haven’t been able to play an NHL game since Jan. 31 because of a COVID-19 outbreak, but they will finally be allowed back into their natural habitat tonight after having six games postponed.
It was a shaky start to the 2020-21 season for the Sabres prior to getting shut down, sitting 4-4-2 on the year, and they will be hoping to record what would be a big win over the Islanders tonight in order to start moving away from the bottom of the East Division and making up for lost time. The good news for the Buffalo Sabres is that Head Coach Ralph Krueger will be back behind the bench after recovering from COVID-19 and, while the likes of forward Dylan Cozens and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen remain on the NHL’s COVID-19 Protocol list, they will have key players in the ilk of Jack Eichel and Taylor Hall on the ice, although the bad news is that the Islanders beat the Boston Bruins 4-2 on Saturday and they will be looking to take advantage of any signs of rust that their opponent may show tonight.