The Buffalo Sabres are feeling confident and will aim to carry their momentum into the 4 Nations Face-Off break when they visit the struggling Nashville Predators on Saturday night.
The Sabres are currently on a season-high four-game winning streak, with one of those wins coming on Jan. 31 at home against Nashville. They haven’t won five games in a row since Jan. 19-26, 2023.
“Each day is big. Each win is big, and I think we’re gaining traction right now,” said forward Tage Thompson. “Obviously, Saturday is going to be a big one and make sure we get that one going into the break, continue to build momentum. … I feel like there’s a lot of confidence in our game right now. … All things kind of coming together, just got to be consistent with it.”
The Sabres are expected to have Thompson back in the lineup after he missed the 3-2 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday due to a concussion from a hit by New Jersey Devils forward Stefan Noesen on Sunday.
Thompson leads the Sabres with 26 goals and 48 points in 47 games. He has eight points (four goals, four assists) in his last three games and 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in his past nine games.
This production has come while playing at right wing, a position change made by coach Lindy Ruff in early January as Thompson dealt with an injury that affected his ability to play center. Recently, he has been paired with rookie center Jiri Kulich and JJ Peterka.
“He’s scoring a lot more. That’s really what has stood out,” said Ruff about Thompson. “The connection with those three guys has been good. I think it’s freed him up a little bit from defensive responsibilities down low, to get out of the zone, use his speed a little bit more, get up ice a little bit quicker.”
The Sabres are also expected to have goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and center Dylan Cozens in the lineup on Saturday. Luukkonen missed Tuesday’s game due to a lower-body injury sustained during the morning skate, and Cozens also missed practice Wednesday with a lower-body issue.
The Predators, on the other hand, are looking to end a six-game losing streak, with the most recent loss being a 6-2 defeat to the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday. This slide follows a 7-2-0 stretch in their previous nine games.
“Obviously, it’s been a really frustrating stretch for us here,” said coach Andrew Brunette. “It’s been a frustrating year, I think, right from the start. Kind of getting our head out of it a little bit, and now we sunk back in. It will be a test of our character. We’ve got one game before the break. Let’s try to play our best game and regroup here a little bit.”
The Predators have struggled offensively, ranking 31st in the NHL with an average of 2.58 goals per game. They’ve also had trouble keeping the puck out of their net, allowing 3.30 goals per game, the seventh-most in the league. During their losing streak, they’ve been outscored 26-10.
“We have another chance tomorrow,” said captain Roman Josi on Friday. “It’s one more game before the break, and we’ve got to find our identity.”
