⏰ 7 p.m. ? MSG ? WGR550
The Sabres are back in Buffalo to take on the Panthers for an Atlantic Division battle. The Panthers are 0-4 in their last four road games and looking to break it, but they know it’s going to be a tough challenge.
“It’s been a bit of a struggle, a lot of ups and downs,” Florida coach Bob Boughner said. “Maybe it’s a game like this that can kick start something and [we can] play with that same compete we did [Saturday].”
Season series:
The Sabres lost 3-2 in overtime to the Panthers in their meeting earlier this season. Aleksander Barkov scored the winning goal at Sunrise, Fla., on Nov. 30.
Buffalo notes:
The Sabres have been a force to reckon with this season and have shown they are the real deal.
Jack Eichel was named NHL’s third star of the week and has 10 goals and 16 assists over his past 16 games for the Sabres — and he’s not the only one on a hot streak. Jeff Skinner, who leads the team with 24 goals (four in the last four games), owns a six-game point streak. While Sam Reinhart has been on the scoresheet in 10 straight contests with five goals and 11 assists and Rasmus Dahlin posted five points of his overall 19 in the last two games
Florida notes:
After losing back-to-back on the road, the Panthers (12-13-6) returned home to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in overtime. Barkov scored three of those goals, his first hat-trick. Panthers left winger Jonathan Huberdeau is currently second in the NHL with 21 points (five goals, 16 assists) and is leading his team with 38 points on the season.
“A couple of times, we have been beating pretty good teams and the next games haven’t been that good,” the center said. “We need to make sure we come hard and play the same way we did against Toronto. They’re probably one of the best teams in the league right now. We need to build on this and should feel confident right now.”