Lightning at Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres snapped an ill-timed losing streak last time out and look to keep alive their dim hopes for a playoff spot when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. The Sabres had lost four in a row (0-3-1) before pulling away in the third period for a 6-3 victory over Arizona on Thursday, but leading scorer Kyle Okposo suffered a rib injury during the contest and is not expected to face the Lightning.
“We’ll take the two points, but we shouldn’t be satisfied with the way we played,” Buffalo center Jack Eichel told reporters after extending his point streak to eight games with a goal and two assists against the Coyotes. “I still think there’s another level (for us).” The Lightning, who are just one point ahead of the Sabres and five out of the second wild-card spot in the East, earned at least one point in nine of 10 games (7-1-2) before surrendering the final three goals in Friday’s 5-2 loss at Pittsburgh. “We weren’t probably going to go 20-0 down the stretch, but it makes (Friday) pivotal,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper told reporters. “Because we have no margin for error.” Nikita Kucherov scored for the fifth straight game in the setback - one shy of the longest streak in the NHL this season by Nashville’s James Neal – and has collected 13 points in his last five contests.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Sun (Tampa Bay), MSG (Buffalo)
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (29-26-8): Defenseman Victor Hedman notched an assist Friday and has recorded six points in his last four games, pushing his season total to 54 - one shy of his career high set in 2013-14. Rookie Adam Erne scored his first career goal Friday while Kucherov’s tally came on the power play as Tampa Bay improved to 8-for-18 with the man advantage over its last seven games. Andrei Vasilevskiy, who stopped 67-of-71 shots in two wins after Ben Bishop was traded to Los Angeles, is expected back in net after Peter Budaj made his debut for the Lightning against Pittsburgh.
ABOUT THE SABRES (27-26-11): Eichel has registered two goals and nine assists during his run to reach 40 points, which ties him with Sam Reinhart for third on the team behind Okposo (43) and Ryan O’Reilly (42). Evander Kane scored for the second straight contest Thursday and has netted nine tallies in his last 11 games to push his team-leading total to 23. Buffalo was second on the power play entering Friday (22.8 percent) and has killed off 18-of-19 man-advantage opportunities over the last eight contests.
OVERTIME
1. The Lightning have won nine of the last 10 meetings, including a pair this season – 4-1 in Buffalo and 4-2 in Tampa Bay.
2. Buffalo LW Marcus Foligno has scored three goals in his last four games after going nine contests without a point.
3. Tampa Bay LW Alex Killorn's next assist will be the 100th of his career, but he is mired in a five-game point drought.