Buffalo looks to pull ahead of Philadelphia in Eastern Conference standings.
The Buffalo Sabres face the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at KeyBank Center.
After losing just their second game in the last 15, 4-3 to the Florida Panthers on Monday, the Sabres know they need to bounce back quickly. Because now they face the Flyers, tied with Buffalo at 52 points, and then the Montreal Canadiens, who sit a few wins ahead in the Atlantic Division standings.
While the Sabres try not to watch the standings too obsessively, they understand how even a short losing streak could hurt their playoff chances.
“Every once in a while, you might take a peek, check on a few things, but I think in the big picture, we realize how tight our conference is, how tight our division is,” said forward Beck Malenstyn. “Every game is extremely important, and we’ve just got to keep putting our head down and collecting as many points as we can.”
On Dec. 8, when the Sabres went to sleep at 11-14-4 and last place in the Eastern Conference, meaningful games a month later might’ve seemed unrealistic. They’ve since surged their way into the thick of the race and are embracing the challenge of weeks like these – especially on home ice, where Buffalo is 14-6-2 this season.
“It’s the games you want to run into, it’s the hockey you want to play, and it’s really what you dream of: playing competitive hockey every night and at the highest level,” forward Zach Benson said.
Wednesday is also Mental Health Awareness Night at the arena, a celebration off all things mental health in and outside of hockey. Sabres.com sat down with Buffalo’s team sports psychologist Amanda Edwards to discuss the event and her work with Sabres players.
Here’s everything else to know before puck drop.
TV (Buffalo broadcast market): TNT, truTV
Streaming: HBO Max
Radio: WGR 550 / Buffalo Sabres App
More ways to watch/listen to Sabres games
The Sabres adjusted their forward lines a bit from last game. Noah Ostlund, a healthy scratch Monday, is re-entering the lineup, while Josh Dunne is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a middle-body injury. And Tyson Kozak is in for his first game since Dec. 18, replacing Jordan Greenway on the fourth line.
Bowen Byram is playing after missing Tuesday’s practice due to a personal issue, but he’s expected to play. And Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is starting in net.
The Flyers were just outscored 12-3 in consecutive home losses to Tampa Bay and have played close to .500 (8-7-5) since the beginning of December. That stretch includes a split with the Sabres; Buffalo lost 5-2 in Philadelphia on Dec. 3 and won 5-3 at home on Dec. 18.
On Monday, first-year Flyers goalie Dan Vladar allowed four goals for just the fifth time in 27 appearances. He’s 16-7-4 with a .907 save percentage and 2.42 goals-against average, but Philadelphia has played backup Samuel Ersson in both matchups with Buffalo.
Forward Trevor Zegras continues to lead the team in scoring despite cooling off with just four points (2+2) in his last eight games.
Buffalo has beaten the Flyers three straight times on home ice while losing three straight in Philadelphia.
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