Sabres at Rangers
The surging New York Rangers have won nine of their last 10 games overall and vie for their fifth consecutive victory against the Buffalo Sabres when the teams meet at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. Despite the victorious stretch, coach Alain Vigneault remains focused on the bigger picture as the team resides in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. "Our expectations are to get into the playoffs," Vigneault told reporters. "Everybody is winning. We haven’t gained any ground, really. We’ve just got to keep playing well and keep getting points, and that’s what we’re trying to do."
Derek Stepan set up three goals in New York's 5-2 triumph over Florida on Wednesday and has 11 points (four tallies, seven assists) in his last seven contests. Buffalo would love that type of production but has been outscored 12-3 during its three-game skid and has dropped seven of eight overall (1-6-1). "We're not shooting enough," coach Ted Nolan said after the Sabres suffered a 2-0 loss to the Panthers on Friday. "In order to score, especially on top-end goaltenders, you've got to get some screens in front of them, you've got to throw some pucks from everywhere, and we didn't do it."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG (Buffalo, New York)
ABOUT THE SABRES (14-22-3): Credit Jhonas Enroth for his positive outlook as the beleaguered goaltender is intent on leaving his troubles in 2014 behind him. "That was last year," the 26-year-old Swede told the Buffalo News after getting blitzed for five goals against Tampa Bay on Wednesday. "You've got to move forward with the new year here. It obviously wasn't a good one." Enroth has permitted at least four goals in five of his last six outings but owns a 2-2-1 career mark with a 2.57 goals-against average versus the Rangers.
ABOUT THE RANGERS (20-11-4): Rick Nash has been held off the scoresheet in five of his last six games but tallied twice in three meetings with Buffalo last season. The top-line forward has 10 goals and four assists in 15 career contests against the Sabres. Henrik Lundqvist is 8-1-0 in his last nine games overall and 15-10-2 in his career versus Buffalo - including a 29-save performance in a 2-0 win on Oct. 31, 2013.
OVERTIME
1. New York has scored at least one power-play goal in six of its last seven contests.
2. The teams originally were slated to meet on Nov. 21, but the game was postponed after a severe lake-effect storm blasted Buffalo.
3. Rangers Ds Marc Staal and Dan Boyle missed practice of Friday for personal reasons, but Vigneault confirmed that both will play versus the Sabres.