Game Preview: 03.27.25 at Buffalo Sabres

The Pittsburgh Penguins finish their three-game road trip with a matchup against the Buffalo Sabres. Puck drop is set for 7 PM at KeyBank Center.

This game will be available to watch on SportsNet Pittsburgh and ESPN+. Fans can listen to the game on 105.9 the X and on the Penguins app.

Team Records: PIT (29-33-11), BUF (30-33-9)

The Penguins are 14-5-1 in their last 20 games against Buffalo. Pittsburgh is 2-2-1 in their last five visits to KeyBank Center, but are 15-3-3 in their last 21 visits there overall dating back to Mar. 30, 2012. The Penguins have scored three or more goals in nine of their last 11 games against Buffalo. Pittsburgh is in a stretch where they are playing six of seven games on the road (0-1-1).

Game Notes

After adding an assist in Tampa Bay on Tuesday night, Sidney Crosby sits just one point away from clinching his 20th point-per-game season, which would surpass Wayne Gretzky (19) for the most in NHL history.

The helper stretched his point streak to eight games. No NHL player has a longer active streak than Crosby’s eight. Over the last seven games dating back to March 9, the forward is tied for second in points (13) across all skaters.

Crosby has points in 21 of his last 28 games (14G-21A) versus Buffalo. He has recorded at least one point in 50 of 61 career games played against them, while his 85 points (29G-56A) are the most he’s tallied against any non-Metropolitan Division opponent. Crosby enters tonight’s game with the sixth-highest career points-per-game average versus the Sabres (min. 20 GP):

Bryan Rust is having an exceptional year, as he is currently just two goals away from matching his career-high total of 28 goals set in the 2023-24 season, and three points shy of tying his career high of 58 points achieved in the 2021-22 season.

Rust’s recent play has placed him among the league's best. He is currently on a three-game goal streak (4G) dating back to March 21, marking the second-most goals in the NHL during that span behind Jack Eichel (5G). Going further back, he has five goals in his last six games since March 13, ranking sixth in the league during that time.

With his latest tally, the forward is just two goals away from reaching the 200-goal mark. Only eight players in Penguins history have recorded more goals with the franchise than Rust. Since his first full season in 2015-16, Rust ranks ninth among his draft class in goals.

Defenseman Erik Karlsson ranks first among team defensemen and fourth overall with 50 points (10G-40A) this season. He currently sits two points away from tying Markus Naslund (869) for the ninth-most points by a Swedish-born player. Karlsson is also just one goal shy of reaching the 200-goal plateau. Among active blueliners, Karlsson’s 199 career goals rank second in the NHL. Among Swedish-born defensemen, only Nicklas Lidstrom (264) has more career goals than Karlsson.

Evgeni Malkin has 12 points (6G-6A) in 15 games since returning from the 4 Nations break. The forward is just one assist shy of tying Henrik Sedin for 13th-most assists with one franchise in NHL history.

In his last 25 games against the Sabres, Malkin has been held off the scoresheet just three times (10G-26A).

Quick Hits

1) Erik Karlsson’s 41 points (14G-27A) and Kris Letang’s 33 points (6G-27A) against the Sabres rank first and second, respectively, among active defensemen.

2) Noel Acciari is four blocked shots shy of his second season with 100 or more blocked shots (2019-20, 103).

3) Bryan Rust is one of just five players in the Sidney Crosby Era (2005-Present) to have three or more 25-goal campaigns with Pittsburgh. He is joined by Crosby (15), Evgeni Malkin (12), Jake Guentzel (3) and Phil Kessel (3).

4) The Penguins are 5-2-1 in their last seven games. During that span dating back to March 9, Pittsburgh’s power play has operated at a 29.4% success rate (5-for-17).

5) The Penguins own an overall record of 404-92-50 when both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin record a point in a game.