The Buffalo Sabres are 1-3-1 on the season. All their losses have come to the Washington Capitals, most recently a 4-3 OT setback Friday night. The Caps are 3-0-2 on the season but four of their five games being decided by a single goal, and three have gone past regulation.

The Caps will be shorthanded with star captain Alex Ovechkin, No. 1 goaltender Ilya Samsonov, forward Evgeny Kuznetsov, and defenseman Dmitry Orlov all ruled out because of NHL COVID-19 protocols.

I fully expect the Sabres to be the more motivated of the two sides in this one.

10* play on Buffalo.