Coyotes at Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres have been playing themselves out of playoff contention with their current four-game slide (0-3-1) but have a chance to avenge one of those defeats Thursday as they host the Arizona Coyotes. Buffalo, which trails Toronto by six points for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, dropped a 3-2 decision in Arizona on Sunday.
The Sabres carried a 2-0 lead into the third period before falling to the Coyotes, and they squandered a pair of two-goal advantages Tuesday en route to a 5-4 overtime setback against Nashville in the opener of their three-game homestand. Arizona, which is all but assured of missing the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season, is coming off a 4-1 loss at Boston on Tuesday. It was the third consecutive road loss for the Coyotes, who had won three of their previous four away from home. Radim Vrbata, who scored the winning goal and added an assist against Buffalo on Sunday, is riding a career-high 10-game point streak during which he has registered four tallies and eight assists.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona Plus, MSG (Buffalo)
ABOUT THE COYOTES (22-33-7): Arizona could be without Alexander Burmistrov on Wednesday as the 25-year-old Russian was taken off the ice on a stretcher in the second period of the loss to Boston after enduring a hit by Bruins defenseman Colin Miller. Burmistrov, who has notched a goal and eight assists in 19 games since being claimed off waivers from Winnipeg, was released after being evaluated at a local hospital and rejoined the team for its flight to Buffalo. Teemu Pulkkinen, who was acquired from Minnesota on Monday, hopes to make his debut for the Coyotes against the Sabres after being a healthy scratch in Boston.
ABOUT THE SABRES (26-26-11): Evander Kane has scored all of his team-leading 22 goals since Dec. 3, trailing only Montreal's Max Pacioretty (26) and Nashville's Filip Forsberg (24). Buffalo made a minor trade Tuesday, acquiring defenseman Mat Bodie from the New York Rangers for forward Daniel Catenacci and the Sabres were quiet at the deadline Wednesday. The 26-year-old Bodie, who has yet to make his NHL debut, has recorded 20 goals and 78 assists in 196 career American Hockey League games.
OVERTIME
1. Sabres RW Brian Gionta recorded a goal - his first in 14 contests - and an assist Tuesday, ending his nine-game point drought.
2. With a point on Wednesday, Vrbata will tie the longest streak in Coyotes history set in 1999 by Jeremy Roenick and matched in 2008 by captain Shane Doan.
3. Buffalo RW Kyle Okposo is one goal shy of reaching 20 for the second straight season and fourth time in his career.