Wild-Buffalo game preview

Wild looking to start week right at Buffalo

Preview: As the Wild begins a stretch of four games in six days, coach Bruce Boudreau stressed the importance of getting off to a good start at Buffalo. "We'd sure like to get ahead of the game by winning the first game of the week, then pushing forward,'' he said. If the Wild falters against the Sabres, Edmonton, New Jersey and the New York Islanders this week, the coach said it makes next week "doubly important'' to its playoff hopes, adding stress to an already stressful pursuit. Buffalo could be a good place for the Wild to end a two-game winless streak; it has won five games in a row at KeyBank Center, where it has a 9-2 record.

Players to watch: Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk is 3-1 with a 1.44 goals-against average and .942 save percentage in his past five games. Former Wild F Jason Pominville, who rejoined the Sabres in 2017 after four-plus seasons in Minnesota, has a goal and three assists against the Wild in three games since moving back to Buffalo. Sabres rookie F Casey Mittelstadt, a former Gopher from Eden Prairie, has seven goals and nine assists in 51 games.

Numbers: Dubnyk has two shutouts and a .930 save percentage in eight starts against Buffalo. … The Sabres are 3-7 in their past 10 games.

Injuries: Wild D Matt Dumba (torn pectoral muscle) and F Pontus Aberg (lower-body injury) are out. Sabres D Casey Nelson (upper-body injury) is out; F Johan Larsson (lower-body injury) is day-to-day.

RACHEL BLOUNT