Can the Buffalo Sabres Defense Improve as They Take On the Carolina Hurricanes?

The Buffalo Sabres will head to the PNC Arena on Thursday night to take on the Carolina Hurricanes in an Eastern Conference matchup. The Sabres are sixth in the Atlantic Division (25-34-11, 61 points), while the Hurricanes are currently leading the Metropolitan Division (45-16-8, 98 points) so far. This will be the third and final game between these teams as they also face off on Tuesday in Buffalo as well. 

Both teams are going to be trying to pick up a win in their final meeting, so this will be an interesting matchup. Let’s take a deeper dive into the Buffalo Sabres and the Carolina Hurricanes to figure out how to step up and win this game. 

Which Incredible Center Can Lead Their Respective Team to a Big Victory?

Center Tage Thompson has been leading the way for the Sabres as he is currently tied for 25th in the sport with 54 points (31 goals, 23 assists) while adding three points in his previous two games. They are scoring 2.71 goals on 29.8 shots per game thus far as a team. Goaltender Craig Anderson has struggled throughout the year as he is 13-9-2 with 3.07 goals allowed per game and a .901 save percentage. Defensively, Buffalo is allowing 3.48 goals on 33.6 shot attempts up to this point. 

Carolina has been one of the best offensive teams in the entire sport as they are averaging 3.32 goals on 33.8 shot attempts as of this writing. Center Sebastian Aho has been doing pretty well as he is tied for 21st in the sport in goals, tied for 45th in the league in assists, and tied for 26th in the NHL in points as he has posted 69 points (31 goals, 38 assists) with six points scored in his last five games. On the defensive side of the ice, the Hurricanes are giving up2.35 goals on 28.6 shots right now. Goalie Frederik Andersen has been arguably the best at the position this season as he has recorded a 33-11-3 record with a .928 save percentage and leading the NHL with 2.03 goals allowed per game. 

Buffalo Sabres at Carolina Hurricanes Betting Prediction

Both teams play against each other on April 5, so they know what each team is going to be doing and their solid moves. In the last couple of games, they have been very similar as the Sabres are giving up three goals per game in their last two games played while the Hurricanes are allowing 2.3 goals per game in their previous three games. Buffalo is dominant against the spread as they are 41-29 against the spread, while Carolina is 33-36. Go with the Carolina Hurricanes to win the game outright, but the Buffalo Sabres to cover a +1.5 puck line on the road here.

* All odds provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.