After the Joe Thornton jersey retirement ceremony, the San Jose Sharks and Buffalo Sabres have a hockey game to play, and William Eklund is being ruled as a game-time decision.

BOTTOM LINE: The San Jose Sharks host the Buffalo Sabres after Alexander Wennberg's two-goal game against the St. Louis Blues in the Sharks' 3-2 shootout loss. San Jose has a 6-11-5 record overall and a 4-4-1 record on its home ice. The Sharks have a -21 scoring differential, with 54 total goals scored and 75 given up.

The Buffalo Sabres are off to a decidedly average start this season, sitting at 10-9-1 with 21 points. This places them in the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Buffalo Sabres (9-9-1) and Anaheim Ducks (8-8-2) meet Friday at 10 p.m. (ESPN+) at the Honda Center. Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook NHL odds around the Sabres vs. Ducks odds and make our expert

The Sabres and the Sharks meet in San Jose! The Sharks have had a rough start to the year, while the Sabres have been solid at best. We continue our NHL odds series with a Sabres-Sharks prediction and pick.

Welcome back to the return of NHL Predictions. Each day, Last Word on Hockey takes a look at the games that are happening and gives our predictions for each one, breaking down head-to-head matchups and other factors that may play in.