Preview of game no.33 and open line: Sabers vs Flyers - Dead by Blade

Buffalo Sabres (14-14-4) vs Philadelphia Flyers (17-9-6) Puck Drop: 7:30 pm Eastern Time |KeyBank Center |Buffalo, NY Televizyon: MSG, ESPN+, Hulu Radio: WGR 550...

Buffalo welcomes new GM

Buffalo Sabers (14-14-4) vs Philadelphia Flyers (17-9-6)

Puck Drop: 7:30 PM ET |KeyBank Center |Buffalo, NY

TV: MSG, ESPN+, Hulu

Radio: Traction 550

Know your opponent

Record: 17-9-6 |40 PTS

Last game: 4-1 win over Montreal Canadiens

Division Rank: 3rd, Metropolitan

PP: 26mh, 15.9% (14/88) [Saber: 13mh, 20.2% (20/99)]

PK: 12th, 81.8% (81/99) [Sword: 3rd, 84.9% (79/93)]

What should be seen

1. A new era

The Buffalo Sabers enter another new phase of their existence under the ownership of Terry Pegula.Jarmo Kekäläinen will be the first manager with experience in the league in 46 years, and let's see if that can be enough to break that 14-year postseason drought.

In his introduction to the press, Kekäläinen said all the good things about building a team whose name is based on competition and relentlessness.In interviews after the first practice following Kevyn Adams' firing, captain Rasmus Dahlin and soon-to-be free agent Alex Tuch were almost beaming with confidence in reaching the playoffs and their faith in the rookie.

Will this translate immediately into the team's game?The next game will tell.

2. Foreplay time

Kekäläinen is known to not hesitate to pull the trigger when he needs to make a move.Although there are many pieces in Sabers, they are not played much because the sum of the parts is greater than the whole.It makes sense for him to send a young player and/or a veteran prospect who brings leadership to the locker room and adds more stability to the roster.

The new GM has talked about solving the three-headed goaltending monster, so this looks like an area to watch, even if the most likely candidates, the Edmonton Oilers, appear to be settled.

There’s also the Tuch situation – Jarmo said he will work to get that sorted out, but if the rumours are to be believed and the forward is looking for Adrian Kempe like money and term (8 years, $10.625M AAV) then he’s likely as good as gone.

There are very few players who should consider themselves perfect on this list, and they better play like they believe it too.

3. Anticipating ibamu

The last time the Sabers were at .500 this season, they traveled to Philly to face the Flyers, who were trying to get on the positive side of wins.Guess what, they jumped out to the lead, but then gave up three goals in about a minute and got blown out.

With a new GM at the helm, a sense of positivity on the roster and a home game at KBC, the Sabers are certainly on fire in their black and red colors, so they should stay strong for 60 minutes.The crowd will be ready for the game, and that's best for Buffalo.

Josh Doan - Tage Thompson - Tyson Kozak

Zach Benson – Ryan McLeod – Jack Quinn

Noah Ostlund - Josh Norris - Alex Tuch

Jordan Greenway - Josh Dunn - Beck Malenstine

Rasmus Dallin - Matthias Samuelsson

Bowen Byram - Conor Timmins/Jacob Bryson (Timmins Twilsome)

Owen Power - Michael Kesselring

Supporters: Alex Lyon (suggested defender), Ukko Pekka Luukkonen

Trevor Zegras - Christian Dvorak - Travis Konecny

Carl Grundstrom – Sean Couturier – Owen Tippett

Matthew Mikkoff - Noah Keats - Bobby Brink

Nicolas Deslauriers - Rodrigo Abols - Garnet Hathaway

Cam York - Travis Sanheim

Emil Andrae-Jamie Drysdale

Nick Seeler - Rasmus Ristolainen

Goals: Samuel Ersson (projected starter), Dan Vladar