Minnesota has allowed just two goals in a 2-0 start, while Buffalo comes into Tuesday’s matchup fresh off a comeback win. That makes this an interesting test of the Wild’s early control: can they keep the Sabres from turning another game into a back-and-forth finish? The moneyline barely separates these teams, even though our grades give Minnesota the stronger overall profile.
Minnesota’s special teams set an early standard
The Wild beat Nashville 3-1 before defeating Boston 4-1 on Saturday. In that second win, Kirill Kaprizov scored twice, Quinn Hughes contributed a goal and an assist, and Jesper Wallstedt made 26 saves. Minnesota also killed all four Boston power plays, bringing its penalty kill to eight successful stops in eight chances through the first two games.
That’s a useful starting point for understanding Minnesota’s path here. Keeping Buffalo from cashing in on power plays would help the Wild maintain the kind of manageable scoring environment they’ve had so far. Two games is a small sample, but Minnesota has already paired scoring from Kaprizov and its defensemen with effective penalty killing.
Buffalo has shown it can answer back
The Sabres trailed Chicago 2-0 and entered the third period down 3-2 before winning 4-3 on Saturday. Tage Thompson, Jack Quinn and Rasmus Dahlin all scored, with Jiri Kulich supplying the winner. Buffalo’s route to success against Minnesota is less about repeating that escape and more about getting that scoring contribution without first digging a hole.
Our grades capture the tension. Minnesota earns a B+ for its attack and a B for goal prevention, compared with Buffalo’s B and C. The bigger separation is in preventing goals, rather than generating them. That puts the spotlight on whether the Sabres can contain Minnesota well enough for their own scoring threats to make the difference.
Sharpest Bets Premium
Get our Wild vs. Sabres picks.
Unlock our model's best bets for this matchup, plus projections, trends, and matchup analysis. Start with a free 7-day trial, then save 20% every month with code PREVIEW20.
A close price, with little separation in shots
The DraftKings moneyline odds put Minnesota at -112 and Buffalo at -108—a near-even market with only a slight lean toward the Wild. Our shot projections offer a useful counterweight to the grade gap: we expect roughly 29 shots from Minnesota and 28 from Buffalo. That’s not much separation in shooting volume, so finishing chances and handling power plays could matter more than which team builds the larger shot count.
Minnesota’s stronger goal-prevention grade and perfect early penalty kill give its clean start some substance. Buffalo’s comeback shows it can get goals from several players, and our closely matched shot projections leave room for a competitive game. The most useful test is whether the Sabres can contain Minnesota and make their chances count without needing another late rescue.
We break down every matchup
For sharp picks, current odds and matchup ratings across the league’s games, take a look at our NHL betting board.
Odds and projections are snapshots and can change. Wagering involves risk.
More matchups to explore
Unlock our Premium picks. Free.
Get our sharpest picks, team grades, and projected score in your inbox.