Buffalo Sabres vs New York Rangers Prediction: Don’t expect a big performance

Prediction for the NHL Buffalo Sabres vs New York Rangers match which will take place on October 13th. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

Buffalo has been one of the league's biggest underdogs for the past few years, never even trying to reach the Cup competition. However, they made some serious progress in the final regular season. Yes, they didn't make the playoffs, but they did finish just one point outside the top eight in the Eastern Conference. The Sabres should be even stronger now. They retained almost all their key players in the off-season, which is important with such a promising young team. They played seven friendlies in pre-season, winning three and losing four.

An even more ambitious and skilled team, the Rangers have been expected to challenge for the Stanley Cup every year but have either failed to achieve the playoffs or ended their race for the trophy prematurely. Last season was no exception. They went into the Cup battle in fifth place but lost to New Jersey in seven games and took an early holiday. The New York team's management did not forgive Gerard Gallant for this failure, and Peter Laviolette will be the head coach.

The Rangers finished well ahead of Buffalo in last year's regular season, finishing 16 points clear in the Eastern Conference standings. Now, New York can be considered a favorites for the game. Yes, the New York team looked terrible in the preseason, but the lineup in those battles often differed from the one we will see at the KeyBank Centre. The visitors have the edge in skill, and it will be necessary for Peter Laviolette to start the new phase of his career with success.

Buffalo and the Rangers have been stingy with goals of late. In their five previous meetings, the opponents had just 22 pucks (an average of 4.40 per game), which is very low by NHL standards, and only once in that period have they beaten the bookmakers' odds. In the upcoming game, the rivals will be just getting into competitive mode, so don't expect a big performance.