Sabres at Wild
The Buffalo Sabres are in the midst of a season-high four-game winning streak, with all of the victories coming by one goal - and three occurring after regulation. Buffalo hopes to continue the run, but in easier fashion, when it visits the Minnesota Wild on Saturday.
Jeff Skinner converted a power-play opportunity 53 seconds into the third period to erase a deficit and Conor Sheary scored in the seventh round of the shootout on Friday as the Sabres posted a 2-1 triumph in Winnipeg. Skinner, who is riding a four-game goal-scoring streak and has tallied 13 times in his last 12 contests, leads Buffalo with 21 points after notching the 400th of his career in the win over the Jets. Minnesota hopes to have one of its leading scorers back in the lineup Saturday as it seeks its fifth win in six games. Zach Parise, who is tied for second on the Wild with 16 points, missed Thursday's 6-2 home triumph over Vancouver due to an illness but participated in practice the next day and declared himself "ready to go."
TV: 6 p.m. ET, MSG (Buffalo), FS North, FS Wisconsin (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE SABRES (11-6-2): Jack Eichel recorded an assist on Friday, putting him three points away from 200 for his career. The 22-year-old captain, who was selected with the second overall pick in the 2015 draft, had been held without a point in three of his previous four contests and enters Saturday with a seven-game goal-scoring drought. Jason Pominville has recorded just one assist over his last five games after collecting seven goals and six assists during a seven-game point streak.
ABOUT THE WILD (12-5-2): Mikael Granlund leads Minnesota with 10 goals and also tops the club with 19 points after setting up a tally against the Canucks. The assist drew the 26-year-old Finn, who hasn't been kept off the scoresheet in consecutive contests since opening the season with a three-game point drought, within one of 200 for his career. Captain Mikko Koivu has tallied in each of his last two contests and is three goals away from 200 in the NHL.
OVERTIME
1. Wild D Matt Dumba has scored in back-to-back games and is halfway toward matching the career high of 14 goals he established in 82 contests last season.
2. Eichel has tallied just once in his last 16 games after netting three tallies in his first three contests to start the campaign.
3. Minnesota is 1-1-0 on its three-game homestand and 6-1-2 overall at Xcel Energy Center this season.