Pittsburgh vs Buffalo: The Penguins won’t have time to recover from defeat in Washington

Pittsburgh had a monster road back-to-back, losing to Ottawa and Washington by a combined score of 4-12. Mike Sullivan’s side will now try to make amends in a home game against Buffalo, one of the season’s top underdogs.

After a game in Ottawa, the Penguins lost 0-5 but managed to come out on top by the end to a more acceptable 3-6. Mike Sullivan’s team met Washington. And the game with the Capitals looked to have hit bottom even lower. 1-6 - Pittsburgh, despite Sidney Crosby’s season debut, didn’t have the slightest chance of success.

In total, the Penguins now have nine defeats in 14 games to start the season. Although only 5 of their nine losses came in regulation time, Pittsburgh are now just seventh in the Capital standings. The team’s sickbay is nearly empty, so the Penguins should feel better going forward.

The start of the season for the Sabres does not stand out compared to several previous championships. The team has not claimed anything and is mostly losing. Sometimes, however, the Buffaloes do manage to put up some really good performances. Don Granato’s team managed to take down Tampa Bay 5-1 on the road, and the eve of the game in Pittsburgh, nearly took home points against two Canadian content players. But after a 3-2 win against Edmonton. The Sabres cruelly failed to come away with a draw against Toronto in a 3-2 victory, conceding the game-winning goal 12 seconds before the final siren. It’s a shame, but even with the loss to the Maple Leafs, Buffalo should be commended for two very high-quality games against such strong opponents.

Pittsburgh have been in a complete slump of late. The team looks awful and does not appear to be a strong contender. The return to form of Sidney Crosby, along with all other hockey players except Malkin, should positively impact the Penguins. However, the transformation is unlikely to happen in a snap. The Penguins will need a few games to get into shape. The meeting with Buffalo is just the first of them.

We predict Buffalo will put up resistance to the Penguins.

• Handicap 2 (+1.5) for 1.95;
• X2 for 2.15;
• Pittsburgh to win in overtime for 10.50.