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Utah Mammoth at Buffalo Sabres

Sat Oct 107:00 PM ETESPN+Buffalo, NY
By JR·2 min read
Mammoth(3-2-0)
Sabres(2-2-0)
Saturday 10/107:00 PM

TLDR: Both teams got embarrassed in their last game, Utah by 6-1 in Boston and Buffalo by 4-0 at home to Dallas, so Saturday's game at KeyBank Center starts with 2 teams trying to forget their last one. The Mammoth bring the better start into it. They also bring the heavier legs.

SAT 10/10, 7:00 PMESPN+
Mammoth
(3-2-0)
LWLWW
Sabres
(2-2-0)
LWWL

Utah has the better start to the season, but it arrives at the end of a long eastern road trip after a 6-1 loss in Boston. Buffalo has won 2 tight home games with 3rd-period comebacks, then managed just 14 shots in a 4-0 loss to Dallas. The game probably comes down to whether Utah's legs hold up and whether Buffalo can generate offense before the 3rd period while Alex Lyon is still out.

Utah Mammoth
  • Outscored first 2 opponents 10-1
  • Guenther and Keller driving early offense
  • Thin injury list, only Lamoureux on IR
  • Lost 6-1 at Boston on heavy road legs
  • Long eastern road swing still not over
  • Down 6-0 before scoring at TD Garden
Buffalo Sabres
  • 2 home wins built on late comebacks
  • Ellis won his start against Minnesota
  • Just 14 shots in 4-0 loss to Dallas
  • Lyon and Leinonen out in goal
  • Zucker still weeks from returning

Utah's season began like a statement. Dylan Guenther scored twice and Karel Vejmelka needed only 15 saves in a 6-0 shutout of Chicago in the opener, and after a 4-1 win in Columbus the Mammoth had outscored their first 2 opponents 10-1. The road trip has been bumpier since then: a 4-2 loss at Madison Square Garden, a 5-3 win in New Jersey, and then Boston scored 3 in the 1st and 3 in the 2nd to lead 6-0 at the 2nd intermission. Utah only got on the board in the 3rd period.

Schedule matters a lot here. The Boston loss was Utah's 4th road game in 6 days, and Buffalo is the next stop on the same eastern swing. Fatigue showed up in that game. A team that had been scoring in bunches looked a step behind from the opening shift. Buffalo plays at home, but it's dealing with its own lineup shuffling, which shows up in the depth more than the top line.

The Sabres have won ugly at home this season. They needed late comebacks to beat Chicago 4-3 and Minnesota 3-2. Dallas took that option away. Jake Oettinger posted his 2nd straight shutout, a 3-goal 2nd period made it 4-0 before the 3rd, and Buffalo finished with just 14 shots. Waiting until the 3rd period works until the other team is up 4 going into it.

Utah Mammoth
(3-2-0)
10/08L@Bruins1-6
10/06W@Devils5-3
10/04L@Rangers2-4
10/03W@Blue Jackets4-1
10/02WvsBlackhawks6-0
Buffalo Sabres
(2-2-0)
10/08LvsStars0-4
10/06WvsWild3-2
10/03WvsBlackhawks4-3
10/01L@Blue Jackets3-6

Goaltending is the main question for Buffalo. Alex Lyon hurt his shoulder diving for a loose puck in a preseason game against Detroit, and Lindy Ruff said there's "no timetable" for him, though Lyon did take part in an optional morning skate in a non-contact jersey. Colten Ellis got the start in the 3-2 win over Minnesota. With Lyon still out and Topias Leinonen on the injured non-roster list, the Sabres are relying on a short list of goalies early. Jason Zucker, back from core-muscle surgery, has been skating in the same non-contact gray but is still weeks away. Justin Danforth has moved into the lineup in place of Sam Carrick.

Utah's injury report is short by comparison. Only defenseman Maveric Lamoureux is on injured reserve. The bigger issue for the Mammoth is whether they can get back to the forecheck and finishing that produced 6 goals against Chicago, or whether the Boston game showed what this trip has cost them. Puck drop is 7:00 PM ET Saturday. Buffalo needs more than 14 shots and a quicker start. Utah needs to look like the team that started the season, not the one that just lost in Boston.

Mammoth and Sabres Both Need a Reset in Buffalo | Polymarket Odds · Barstool Bush