These two Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings are in very similar situations. With young, promising cores and some valuable veterans, it's time for these squads to turn the corner and be playoffs contenders.
And yet, to start the year both have been decidedly average. This contest for us as bettors offers some interesting angles.
The Wings rank dead last in shots on goal with an average of 24.4 per game while Sabres hover around 28, not much better. The Wings are also generating an abysmal 2.7 goals per game which was not expected to be the number early on.