⏰ 7:30 p.m. ? MSG ? WGR550
The Sabres take their 10-game winning streak south this evening as they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena. Buffalo sits atop the NHL, but the lightning (4th) can claim that spot with a victory tonight.
Season series: The Sabres took the first game of the four-game season series in a 2-1 victory at KeyBank Center a couple weeks ago. It was a win that Buffalo may have been lucky to escape with, as the Bolts nearly connected on a game-tying goal several times in the final minutes.
Tonight marks the 100th meeting between these two teams all time with the Sabres winning 55 of those games. Tampa Bay has won 39 and they have tied five times.
Buffalo notes: Jeff Skinner has been absolutely on fire and it appears him and Jack Eichel are a perfect hockey match, especially during this streak. This 10-game streak has seen the Sabres win nine of those games by just one goal, including four in overtime and three via shootout.
The Sabres are chasing history tonight as they could set a franchise record with 11 straight wins.
Tampa Bay notes: The Lightning are ending their five-game homestand tonight, and they’ve gone 3-1 so far. They entered the season as one of the Stanley Cup favorites and will be a big challenge for Buffalo tonight, especially in their own building.
Starting goaltenders: Carter Hutton has been having a great year, but with Buffalo playing the Florida Panthers on Friday night, Linus Ullmark will likely get one of the starts on this quick road trip. Andrei Vasilevskiy is dealing with a left foot fracture so it will likely be Louis Domingue in goal for Tampa Bay.