Main storyline: The Buffalo Sabres host the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight at the First Niagara Center in what is their final game of the 2014 calendar year.
Season series: Tonight’s meeting will mark the third time this season, and this month, that the teams will meet. Cody Hodgson’s shootout winner helped Buffalo win the first game, but two days later Tampa Bay shutout the Sabres 5-0 back on home ice.
Where they stand: The Sabres are at the bottom of the Atlantic Division with 31 points and have gone 5-4-1 in their past 10. Tampa Bay have been battling for first place with Montreal for quite some time and are in currently in second in the division. They are tied with the Canadiens with 50 points but have played one more game than they have.
Recent performance: The Sabres have gone 6-6-1 so far this month, but it’s been a bit of a roller coaster. After such an impressive streak of wins, they’ve take a step back. They’re coming off a 5-2 loss at the hands of the Ottawa Senators on Monday. The Lightning are riding a three game winning streak, and each of those games have been decided by one goal. They defeated the Penguins, Hurricanes and Maple Leafs to go a perfect three for three on their homestand. However, Tampa Bay has lost four of its last five home games.
Buffalo notes: Jhonas Enroth will get the start in goal on Wednesday. Tyler Myers was in a non-contact jersey at practice and Patrick Kaleta is expected to play tonight.
“He’s a tough man,” Sabres coach Ted Nolan said. “The way he went into the boards and the way he went down, we thought for sure he’d be out for awhile. Then all of a sudden, we come into the room a couple hours later, he’s got a smirk on his face. He said, ‘I’ll be ready to go.’ And certainly he was on the ice today, so that’s a good sign for us.”
Opponent notes: It appears that Ben Bishop may not get the nod in goal for tonight’s contest. The Lightning recalled rookie goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy from the AHL (Syracuse) and he has a chance of playing.
Conclusion: Tonight’s game is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. and can be seen on MSG. Have a Happy New Year!