The Buffalo Sabres are set to face the Nashville Predators on Tuesday at Bridgestone Arena, following a narrow 2-1 defeat against the Carolina Hurricanes. In that game, rookie goaltender Brandon Bussi of the Hurricanes made several key saves, including one described as a “save-of-the-year candidate” against Sabres forward Tage Thompson.
Reflecting on the loss, Thompson said, “I think it helps with our schedule that we have so much hockey, there’s really no time to sit and think about it. I think we come in the locker room after that loss, and you can look yourself in the mirror and be happy with how you played. Obviously, sucks not getting the results, but I thought we played hard, and we’ve just got to play the same way tomorrow against Nashville.”
Despite Monday’s setback, Buffalo remains in playoff contention. Losses by Toronto, Florida, and Washington helped keep the Sabres in the second wild card spot with 57 points.
Nashville presents a challenge for Buffalo as they have won four of their last six games. The Predators recently defeated Colorado on the road and have improved after a slow start to their season.
Tuesday’s matchup will feature two of the NHL’s Stars of the Week. Thompson was named First Star after scoring 10 points over four games before being held scoreless in Carolina. Roman Josi of Nashville earned Second Star honors by also recording 10 points in four contests.
The game is scheduled for an 8 p.m. puck drop. Pregame coverage will begin at 7:30 p.m. on MSG for viewers in the Sabres broadcast market. Fans outside this area can stream via Gotham Sports App or ESPN+, while radio coverage is available on WWKB 1520 and through the Buffalo Sabres App.
In lineup news, defenseman Michael Kesselring will miss his second consecutive game due to an ankle injury; however, coach Lindy Ruff stated Monday that “it’s nothing that we think is too serious.” Jacob Bryson and Zach Metsa will form the third defensive pair again.
Goaltender Alex Lyon returns to action for his first appearance since sustaining a lower-body injury on December 29. Before his injury, Lyon had won seven straight games with a .919 save percentage and a goals-against average of 2.22.
Rasmus Dahlin extended his point streak to five games with a goal on Monday—he has totaled three goals and three assists during this stretch. The Sabres have performed well in back-to-back situations this season with a record of 4-1-1; most recently they swept such a set against Montreal last Thursday.
Nashville has gone 17-9-0 since November 26th—their win total during this period ties them with Buffalo and several other teams for second-most victories league-wide behind Colorado. Key contributors include former Sabre Ryan O’Reilly—who leads Nashville in points—and Steven Stamkos who ranks fifth among NHL players with 17 goals since late November. Goalie Juuse Saros holds a record of 13-6-0 over this span.
“Early on in the year, they didn’t quite find their way, but they’ve found their way now,” said Ruff regarding Nashville’s recent performance. “They’re making a lot of good plays, and [Stamkos has] been a big part of it.”
Currently three points out of a wild card position in the Western Conference standings, Nashville remains active in pursuit of playoff qualification.
