Anaheim vs Buffalo Prediction: the Sabres Aren't Doing Well on the Road

Prediction for the NHL Anaheim Ducks vs Buffalo Sabres match, which will take place on February 16th. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

For Anaheim, the season could be better. A year earlier, the Ducks at least had a good start dwelling close to the playoffs, but now they have no Cup ambitions. Dallas Eakins' team produced modest results from the first games and continues to do so today. A brief spike in activity occurred in late January when they suddenly won three games. They beat Arizona twice in that span, but in the last two games, they lost to Pittsburgh and Vegas, 3-6 and 2-7, dropping to 15th place in the Western Conference standings.

Buffalo is out of contention for a playoff spot, after all. The Blades had a tremendous first half of this season, threatening to make it to the Cup battles for the first time since the 2010/11 season. But then their performance declined. At the end of January, they had another 5-match winning streak, but then they lost to Minnesota, Carolina, Calgary, and Los Angeles (7-20). Don Granato's team has already fallen to 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings, six points behind the top-8.

Buffalo goes on a California road trip in poor shape. The Blades can't win their last four games. Their opponents have been much tougher and more organized in all four previous battles than Anaheim. The Californians can't even dream of making the playoffs, so they're playing this season in peace while Don Granato's men still have a chance to fight for the top eight. Moreover, the Yellows and Blues won their first season meeting, 6-3, so they are now favorites.

Anaheim and Buffalo have had tremendous problems lately with the reliability of their defensive line. In their previous five home meetings, the Ducks have conceded 26 pucks (5.20 average per game). The Blades have 17 missed pucks (5.67 average) in their last three games. Obviously, with such a weak defense, we have an excellent chance to expect a productive game.