Game Preview | 5 things to know ahead of Sabres at Wild

MINNESOTA -Dylan Cozens and Mattias Samuelsson will be game-time decisions for the Sabres when they wrap up their four-game road trip tonight against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center.
Samuelsson did not play against Winnipeg on Thursday due to a lower-body injury. Cozens left the game in the third period after he was hit high by Jets defenseman Nate Schmidt.
Cozens was not on the ice when the Sabres began their morning skate but joined late in the session. Samuelsson was on the ice for the entirety of the skate.

"We will not have any lineup decisions until tonight," Sabres coach Don Granato said. We'll sort anything out that we need to now and even pregame, make a decision on the roster at that point."

The Sabres are looking to sweep their road trip, which has included wins over the top two teams in the Western Conference in Dallas and Winnipeg along with a victory in St. Louis. They have won five straight games and are 12-2-1 in their last 15 contests on the road.
Coverage on MSG begins at 8:30 p.m. The puck drops at 9.
Here are five things to know.

1. In the crease

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is expected to start in goal. He is 12-3-0 with a .909 save percentage in his last 15 starts, including a 39-save victory over Minnesota on January 7.

2. The lineup

Rasmus Asplund filled in for Cozens on a line with Jack Quinn and JJ Peterka during the morning skate and would draw into the lineup in the event Cozens is unable to play.
Kale Clague joined the lineup in place of Samuelsson against the Jets and skate 15:15.
"Both those guys have worked extremely hard," Granato said. "Both those guys we have complete faith in and should have faith in. We need to have faith in our depth. So, if we need to use them tonight, we are excited to have Clague and Aspy."

3. The top line

The Sabres top-line trio of Jeff Skinner, Tage Thompson, and Alex Tuch all extended their point streaks during the victory in Winnipeg.
Tuch has three goals and six assists during his seven-game point streak, which is the longest active streak on the Sabres. Skinner (2+6) and Thompson (3+7) are both on six-game streaks.
"The sky's the limit is the old saying," Granato said. "Those three exemplify it."

4. Power surge

Owen Power has scored goals in three straight games, the longest such streak by a rookie defenseman in Sabres history. With a goal tonight, he would join Rasmus Dahlin and Phil Housley as the third Sabres defenseman to score in four or more consecutive games.
Power leads NHL rookies in average ice time (23:34) - over two full minutes more than second-place Jake Sanderson. His 19 points rank second among rookie defensemen.
Granato said after the victory in Winnipeg that Power deserves consideration for the Calder Trophy.
"I know he hasn't been talked about for rookie of the year," Granato said. "It's astonishing to me, because I don't know how he couldn't be. What he does on a nightly basis is just amazing when you factor in his age and lack of experience in our league, to dominate situations and really full games the way he does."

5. Scouting the Wild

Minnesota made an impassioned effort to end what had been a three-game losing streak when it returned home against Philadelphia on Thursday. The Wild fought four times - including three in a span of 15 seconds of game clock - and won on Mats Zuccarello's goal in overtime.
Minnesota is 12-3-0 in its last 15 games at home.
"We expect them to come hard and heavy," Granato said. "We know that. They're a very capable group over there and it's another challenge for us."
Marc-Andre Fleury will start in goal for the Wild.