PIT at BUF
Pittsburgh Penguins at Buffalo Sabres. Preview from the model, the licensed feeds and last season's measures. Nothing here is a betting recommendation.
- Model now
- Expected score
- Market
- —
- Venue
- KeyBank Center
What the model says now
Lineups not yet published: each club's usual lineup assumed. Starting goalie not confirmed: goaltending held at league average. This estimate moves until the ledger freezes it before puck drop.
Source: CapOrCup game model (derived from club ratings, rest and starters)
What the schedule did to each side
Nights off, back-to-backs, third games in four nights, road-trip position and travel since the last game, from the statistical schedule. Shown as facts; rest is in the price, travel is not.
1 night off
1 night off
In goal
The league names no starter before puck drop. First on each club's depth chart, from the licensed feed, is the expected starter.
Arturs Silovs
Colten Ellis
Expected lines
What each club intends per the feed's depth chart, with each forward's shooter rating (Elo, against the goalies faced last season). A listing is the club's statement, not a game sheet.
Pittsburgh Penguins
L1 Rickard Rakell (above the league middle) · Sidney Crosby (top tenth of the league) · Bryan Rust (above the league middle)
L2 Egor Chinakhov (top tenth of the league) · Thomas Novak (below the league middle) · Evgeni Malkin (above the league middle)
L3 Hendrix Lapierre (below the league middle) · Ben Kindel (below the league middle) · Ville Koivunen
D1 Declan Carlile · Erik Karlsson (above the league middle)
D2 Samuel Girard (above the league middle) · Kaedan Korczak (below the league middle)
PP1 Ben Kindel (below the league middle) · Evgeni Malkin (above the league middle) · Rickard Rakell (above the league middle) · Erik Karlsson (above the league middle) · Sidney Crosby (top tenth of the league)
Buffalo Sabres
L1 Josh Norris (above the league middle) · Tage Thompson (top tenth of the league) · Jack Quinn (below the league middle)
L2 Zach Benson (below the league middle) · Noah Ostlund (above the league middle) · Josh Doan (above the league middle)
L3 Peyton Krebs (below the league middle) · Ryan McLeod (above the league middle) · Justin Danforth
D1 Mattias Samuelsson (top tenth of the league) · Rasmus Dahlin (above the league middle)
D2 Olen Zellweger (below the league middle) · Owen Power (above the league middle)
PP1 Jack Quinn (below the league middle) · Zach Benson (below the league middle) · Noah Ostlund (above the league middle) · Tage Thompson (top tenth of the league) · Rasmus Dahlin (above the league middle)
Who the clubs list as out
Club-announced listings relayed by the licensed feed. No cause is inferred; Day To Day players are shown but not counted as out.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Samuel Girard (D): Day To Day (undisclosed), listed since 2026-10-17, expected back 2026-10-19
Egor Chinakhov (RW): Out (lower body), listed since 2026-10-16, expected back 2026-10-22
Justin Brazeau (RW): Out (lower-body), listed since 2026-09-27, expected back 2026-10-22
Ryan Graves (D): Out (lower-body), listed since 2026-09-27, expected back 2026-10-24
Trevor van Riemsdyk (D): Out (lower body), listed since 2026-10-10, expected back 2026-10-19
Buffalo Sabres
Alex Lyon (G): Out (upper-body), listed since 2026-09-29, expected back 2026-10-24
Conor Timmins (D): Out (lower-body), listed since 2026-09-28, expected back 2026-10-24
Jack Rathbone (D): Out (undisclosed), listed since 2026-09-28, expected back 2026-10-24
Jason Zucker (LW): Out (abdomen), listed since 2026-09-28, expected back 2026-10-21
Matt Grzelcyk (D): Out (lower-body), listed since 2026-10-13, expected back 2026-10-21
Rasmus Dahlin (D): Out (upper-body), listed since 2026-10-12, expected back 2026-10-21
Who has the whistle
Named by the league, usually near puck drop. Each referee's record is from last season's play-by-play penalties; ranks are distance from league norms.