NHL: Surging Sabres have a chance to move atop division vs. Penguins

Throw any type of game at the Buffalo Sabres and they won’t be fazed.

Whether it’s a high-scoring battle or a tight defensive matchup, whether they’re leading or trailing, the Sabres remain composed—a consistency that has made them one of the NHL’s hottest teams over the past three months.

With the top spot in the Atlantic Division in their sights, Buffalo looks to extend its winning streak to five games when they visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday. A win, combined with a Tampa Bay Lightning regulation loss to Winnipeg, would tie Buffalo in points, though the Lightning would still hold two games in hand.

“It’s just a daily grind,” goalie Alex Lyon said. “Obviously, winning builds confidence, right? I would be lying if I said that didn’t have something to do with it. But the way this group works—each man—big credit to the guys.

“…If our details can be better, if our work can be better, it’s a zero-sum game. You have to constantly think about that and focus on that, and we’ve done a good job coming out of the break. The East is so strong this year, so we can’t take anything for granted.”

The Sabres are coming off a 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, building a 3-0 lead before Vegas scored twice in less than two minutes.

“We’ve been through a lot, we’ve learned a lot,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “The best way of learning is through hardship, and we went through some tough moments. I look back at last year and see situations that taught us we had to be better, have more composure.”

Buffalo’s power play, which ranks 17th in the NHL at 19.9%, has been inconsistent for much of the season. However, the team has scored on the power play in eight of its last 10 games, going 8-for-32 (25%).

The Penguins, meanwhile, are eager to rebound after a 2-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on Tuesday. Pittsburgh struck first just 42 seconds into the game, but Boston responded with two quick goals before the halfway point of the first period, ultimately taking the win.

“We gave ourselves a chance the whole game, and both goaltenders played tremendously and made the saves when they needed to,” defenseman Erik Karlsson said. “It’s unfortunate we couldn’t have a better start, but tonight wasn’t our best effort. Still, we did enough to give ourselves a chance to tie, but it wasn’t our night.”

Pittsburgh is second in the Metropolitan Division with 75 points, tied with the New York Islanders, though the Penguins have a game in hand. After a six-game winning streak from Jan. 19-31, Pittsburgh has lost four of its last seven games (3-2-2).

“We’re walking out of here without any points. At this time of year, you can’t say, ‘that’s okay, it was a good effort,’” Penguins coach Dan Muse said. “Tight-checking games get harder from this point on. We have to take lessons from this game, work on them, and move on quickly.”

—Field Level Media/Reuters