The Buffalo Sabres will face the Florida Panthers on Friday at 7 p.m. at Amerant Bank Arena. The Sabres are aiming to maintain their position in the Eastern Conference playoff race after a 2-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday, which brought their point total to 72.
Forward Tage Thompson commented on the team’s current situation, saying, “We have something really good going here, and I think every point – especially at this point in the season, going forward – is crucial for us. Especially (against) teams in the East.”
The Florida Panthers, who currently have 63 points, have been dealing with injuries and face a challenging path if they hope to reach the playoffs again and defend their consecutive titles. Buffalo has won two of three games against Florida this season.
Peyton Krebs highlighted the importance of each game: “Every game’s a playoff game from here on out. We need the wins, and it’s gonna be a lot of fun.”
Fans can watch Friday’s matchup through MSG in the Sabres broadcast market with pregame coverage starting at 6:30 p.m., or stream via Gotham Sports App and ESPN+ for out-of-market viewers. Radio coverage is available on WGR 550 and through the Buffalo Sabres App.
Zach Benson joined his teammates for morning skate in Florida but may not play Friday; coach Lindy Ruff indicated he could return Saturday against Tampa Bay. The team made an adjustment to its power play unit by adding Josh Doan alongside Tage Thompson, Jason Zucker, Josh Norris, and Rasmus Dahlin.
Alex Lyon is expected to start as goaltender for Buffalo. Lyon has had success against his former team this season, stopping 71 of 74 shots across two starts—both resulting in victories for Buffalo.
Peyton Krebs has been playing on Buffalo’s top line with Thompson and Alex Tuch while Benson remains sidelined. Their line has combined strong defensive play with scoring efficiency during five-on-five situations this season.
Florida will be without captain Aleksander Barkov and defensemen Seth Jones and Dmitry Kulikov due to injuries. Before returning from break with a win over Toronto on Thursday, the Panthers had lost five of six games including one against Buffalo earlier this month.
Friday’s contest marks the final regular-season meeting between these teams.
