Main storyline: The Buffalo Sabres (19-42-6) return home on Saturday following a five game road trip that stretches back to February 28. The Sabres look to get its first win since then as the Eastern Conference leading New York Rangers (42-17-7) come to town to play at the First Niagara Center.
Season series: Saturday’s matchup is the third and final meeting between the two clubs. The most recent matchup came back on February 20 when the Rangers stole a 3-1 victory at the First Niagara Center. Rangers rookie goaltender MacKenzie Skapski recorded his first NHL victory in his first NHL start. The only other meeting resulted in a 6-1 Rangers thrashing over the Sabres back on January 3 at Madison Square Garden.
Where they stand: The Sabres continue to own the 30th spot in the NHL standings as the worst team in the league. The Sabres remain four points back of the 29th place Edmonton Oilers. Edmonton lost in a shootout on Friday night to the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4. For the Rangers, the team sits atop the Eastern Conference Standings tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Montreal Canadiens. With a win on Saturday, the Rangers could tie the Anaheim Ducks for the lead in the NHL Standings with 93 points.
Recent performance: The Sabres were able to steal a point from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night in Toronto. The Sabres got a quick lead thanks to Johan Larsson, and from there it was a back and forth battle heading into the overtime and shootout. In the shootout, Tyler Bozak scored the only goal while Jonathan Bernier stopped all three Sabres shooters to give the Leafs the win. For the Rangers, Cam Talbot helped lift the Rangers over the Washington Capitals in a 3-1 victory. Talbot made 28 saves, while goals from Carl Hagelin, J.T. Miller, and Martin St. Louis gave the Rangers enough cushion to preserve the win.
Buffalo notes: It has been a trial and error period of finding lines since the NHL Trade Deadline last week Monday. On Wednesday, the Sabres had a huge performance from the first line of Matt Moulson, Johan Larsson, and Tyler Ennis. Each player registered a goals and two assists in the shootout loss. Johan Larsson has struggled this season for the Sabres when he has been recalled, but since his most recent call-up, he has been playing with a chip on his shoulder and playing with more determination. His play is the sole reason why head coach Ted Nolan put him on the top line with Moulson and Ennis. The Sabres will look to keep rolling with the top line and hopefully find some more chemistry on the other three lines. Anders Lindback is back in the net for his fifth consecutive start since the NHL Trade Deadline.
New York Rangers notes: The Rangers have been on a roll in recent games, winning three straight games and winners in eight of its last 10 games. The team’s recent performance has vaulted them into the top of the Eastern Conference standings. New York has gotten some incredible goaltending from backup goaltender Cam Talbot ever since February 2 when Henrik Lundqvist was injured with a strained blood vessel in his neck. In the 17 games since Lundqvist’s injury, Talbot has gone 12-2-3, who went 4-4-2 before Lundqvist went down. The Rangers’ defense has also stepped up for Talbot in that stretch, and the offense have been getting the gritty goals in order to swing the momentum in its direction. Talbot will get a rest on Saturday, as MacKenzie Skapski will start his second career game and his second start against the Sabres.
Conclusion: The Sabres look to upset a red hot Rangers, and avoid a sixth straight loss. Face-off from the First Niagara Center is set for 7pm. The game can be seen on MSG Network.