The Carolina Hurricanes (34-18-5) take on the Buffalo Sabres (26-27-4) for the third time this season, which should be an appealing NHL showdown on Sunday, February 25 at 6:00 PM ET at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. The Hurricanes are slight moneyline contenders to find success, coming in at -155.

The Hurricanes have won their last four matchups and are 4-1 overall in their previous five. Their most recent success was a 1-0 outing over the Florida Panthers.

They are solid on the road, as they have a 15-11-1 record coming into this matchup. They will need to assert offensive dominance early if they want to continue their success over the Sabres.

The Hurricanes maintain an average of 3.34 goals and 32.9 shots per game. Despite their robust offensive stats, their power play could improve, with 49 goals scored and 28 allowed, resulting in a 27.5 percent success rate.

On the defensive end, opponents are averaging 2.77 goals and 25.5 shots per game against them, creating a slightly negative differential that presents challenges for their overall success. Their penalty kill percentage stands at 84.4, slightly exceeding that of the Sabres.

The Sabres are 3-2 in their last five games and are currently riding a two-game win streak. Their most recent success was a 2-1 performance over the Columbus Blue Jackets, marking their second consecutive win on the road.

They are currently 12-16-1 at home, which is not an appealing position to be in against a team they have struggled against this season. They will need to keep the possession of the puck as much as possible to push the game in their favor.

The Sabres maintain a steady average of 2.91 goals per game through 31.7 shot attempts, demonstrating an effective power play with 24 goals scored and 35 allowed. This results in a 14.5 power play percentage, potentially influencing the game significantly.

Defensively, they are allowing opponents to average 3.02 goals and face 29.1 opponent shots per game. Despite a penalty kill percentage of 80.0, slightly lower than the Hurricanes, it remains a solid and quality number.

MyBookie has the best NHL odds at your disposal, with the Carolina Hurricanes as moneyline favorites. The Hurricanes have defeated the Sabres twice already in the two matchups they have battled, with the Hurricanes winning 6-2 in their most recent one in December of last year.

The Sabres continue to have issues on both sides of the puck, but they have looked better on paper lately. The Hurricanes are more likely to come out stronger on offense and have shown they are capable of pushing the tempo in their favor.