Buffalo looking to keep streak going

Buffalo Sabres (24-15-4) vs Florida Panther (23-18-3)

Puck Drop: 7:00 pm ET | KeyBank Center, Buffalo NY

TV: MSG, ESPN+

Radio: WGR 550

Know Your Opponent

Florida Panthers

Record: 23-18-3 | 49 PTS

Last Game: 3-2 win against Ottawa Senators

Division Ranking: 7th, Atlantic

PP: 20th, 18.3% (24/139) [Sabres: 21st, 18.1% (30/164)]

PK: 5th, 83.6% (127/152) [Sabres: 2nd, 85.5% (100/117)]

What to Watch

1. Just Believe

Right now at times it does look like the Sabres are just willing themselves to victories. That self-belief that is coursing through this team, which sees the supposedly-weakest link Jack Quinn scoring a pair of goals as Buffalo finds a way to keep winning is the kind of playoff mentality we are enjoying watching in the team.

Buffalo are 14-5-2 at home, and their .714 points percentage at home is only second in the entire league. They have to keep making that count during this homestand.

2. Panthers remain dangerous

The Florida Panthers are in a bit of a rut right now, going 4-5-1 in their last ten games and hovering close to the basement of the Atlantic. They remain loaded with talent and grit and if they make the playoffs no one will want to visit their barn. However, right now is the time to catch them, and make the points count.

3. Line changes yet?

NHL coaches tread that fine balance between changing lines before they stagnate, and continuing with the same old, same old. Peyton Krebs might not be a career top-sixer, but he’s certainly earned his keep and then some on the first line.

Meanwhile Noah Ostlund does seem to be stagnating on the fourth line where he was assigned to boost the scoring ability given the grit that Jordan Greenway and Beck Malenstyn bring to the grouping. At some point, Buffalo will have to change that, but the question is, does Lindy Ruff pull the trigger proactively, or after the Sabres get chewed up alive and need to make a change?

Projected Lineups

Buffalo Sabres

Forwards

Peyton Krebs – Tage Thompson – Josh Doan
Jason Zucker – Josh Norris – Alex Tuch
Zach Benson – Ryan McLeod – Jack Quinn
Jordan Greenway – Noah Ostlund – Beck Malenstyn

Defense

Mattias Samuelsson – Rasmus Dahlin
Bowen Byram – Owen Power
Jacob Bryson – Zach Metsa

Goalies: Ukko Pekka Luukkonen, Colten Ellis (confirmed starter)

Florida Panthers

Forwards

Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – A.J. Greer
Sandis Vilmanis – Evan Rodrigues – Mackie Samoskevich
Jesper Boqvist – Luke Kunin – Jack Studnicka

Defense

Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Uvis Balinskis
Donovan Sebrango – Jeff Petry

Goalies:

Sergei Bobrovsky (confirmed starter), Daniil Tarasov