Canucks at Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are trying to hang around in the playoff race a little longer and look to earn at least one point for the fifth time in seven games when they host the fading Vancouver Canucks on Sunday. The Sabres are five points out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference after putting together a solid effort in Sunday's 3-1 victory at Toronto.
Evander Kane scored a pair of goals and Buffalo received a career-high three assists from Jack Eichel, who told reporters, “We jumped on them early, and we were rewarded for it. The next 40 (minutes), we did enough to win the game, and that’s what’s important.” The Canucks need a win badly to end their downward spiral, which has dropped them six points out of the second wild-card berth in the West. Vancouver forged a tie with 5:37 remaining in the third period Saturday before allowing a goal less than four minutes later in a 4-3 setback at Boston – its fifth loss in six contests. Leading scorer Bo Horvat continued to produce for the Canucks with two points to increase his career total to 101 a few months shy of his 22nd birthday.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver), MSG (Buffalo)
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (24-25-6): Horvat recorded a goal and an assist Saturday and has notched four points in the last four games to push his season total to 36 – two more than captain Henrik Sedin, who has gone eight games without a goal. Daniel Sedin, who is next with 30 points, is slated to play his 1,199th contest Sunday while Markus Granlund netted his 14th goal of the season and second in three games in the loss to Boston. Defenseman Alex Edler has matched Granlund by posting three points in his last three contests.
ABOUT THE SABRES (23-22-10): Kane is beginning to show the form he displayed when he registered 30 goals as a 20-year-old in 2011-12 with Winnipeg, scoring twice Saturday for the second time in three games to take over the team lead with 18. Kyle Okposo notched an assist against Toronto and leads the team with 36 points – one better than Sam Reinhart, who has registered five in his last five contests. The Sabres are 29th on the penalty kill but have gone 4-for-6 on the power play over the last three games to take the league lead at 23.8 percent.
OVERTIME
1. Horvat is the first Canuck to accumulate at least 100 career points before the age of 22 since Petr Nedved in 1993.
2. Buffalo C Zemgus Girgensons (abdomen) has missed the last two games and is questionable for Sunday.
3. The Canucks have won five of the last seven meetings, including a 2-1 win in Vancouver on Oct. 20.