Sabres look to bounce back vs. well-rested Canucks

The Buffalo Sabres continue their three-game road trip through Canada on Saturday afternoon when they visit the Vancouver Canucks.

The trip started on Thursday night with a 4-3 loss at Calgary and concludes Sunday in Edmonton. Buffalo, which began the season with a 9-2-1 start, has gone just 4-9-4 in its past 17 games. Nonetheless, the Sabres enter Friday's action still tied for second place in the Atlantic Division with Florida, trailing first-place Boston by 15 points.

Problems on special teams plagued the Sabres in the 4-3 loss at Calgary. Jack Eichel scored a power-play goal with 47.4 seconds remaining to draw Buffalo to within a goal, but the Sabres were 0-for-7 with the extra man before that and also allowed a short-handed goal.

"It is definitely what jumps out on the night," Buffalo coach Ralph Krueger told reporters afterward. "I thought we came into the game the way we wanted to. Five-on-five was feeling really good. Again, the specialty teams shifted momentum in their favor and for them to add a dagger in by scoring short-handed definitely was a turning point in the game."

Eichel's late goal, his 18th, extended his point streak to 11 games. He has rolled up 20 points during that stretch.

Buffalo now takes on a well-rested Vancouver squad which hasn't played since a 5-2 home victory over Ottawa on Tuesday.

The Canucks, in the third game of a five-game homestand, jumped out to a 4-0 first lead against the Senators and then cruised home for the easy win while improving to 6-3-3 at home this season.

Forward Antoine Roussel, who had nine goals and 31 points in 65 games last season before tearing the ACL in his right knee in early March, made his return a memorable one, scoring on his first shift 1:50 into the contest to give Vancouver a quick 1-0 lead.

"I couldn't have written it better," Roussel said. "First shift, first goal, it was awesome. It takes a lot of pressure off my shoulders. I still have a long road ahead to play perfect hockey yet, but it's a step in the right direction."

"That was awesome," said Vancouver coach Travis Green. "Couldn't help but smile on the bench when he scored. It is a long haul back for guys when they come back from an injury like that. Just to see him play we were happy. To see him score like that, you couldn't have scripted it any better."

Despite his quick start, Roussel said he still isn't quite in game shape yet.

"First period was tough," he said. "The legs were like Jell-O even after that goal. It took some time to get going. I felt better as the game went on."

Backup goaltender Thatcher Demko had 40 saves for the Canucks. Jacob Markstrom, who is 8-7-3 with a 2.70 goals-against in 18 starts, missed the game to attend his father's funeral in Sweden but is expected back for Saturday's game.

"It's a big win," Green said. "That's (been) a tough stretch of games with the long (six-game) road trip and then having three (games) in four (nights) at the end. A good team win."

--Field Level Media