The Buffalo Sabres will try to win their fifth straight home game and sweep the season series against the Rangers for the first time since 2006-07. The Sabres won 4-3 at home on Dec. 1 and won 4-1 at New York on Jan. 3. "You want to try and build your home rink into a place that is tough for other teams to come play," center Jack Eichel said. "You use the home ice advantage, you use your own house, your bed, your own routine at home to your advantage and just try to prepare as well as we can for the game." Forward Nicolas Deslauriers will replace Cal O'Reilly in the Buffalo lineup. O'Reilly has one assist in seven games since being recalled from Rochester of the AHL on Jan. 16. It will be Deslauriers' first career game at center. Forwards Evander Kane and Brian Gionta each have been have been steady scorers of late; Kane has seven points (two goals, five assists) in a four-game point streak and Gionta has four points (three goals, one assist) in a four-game point streak. "It seems like Brian has scored his goals very similarly around the net," coach Dan Bylsma said. "I think that's a result of Evander really hunting down pucks and having pucks in the offensive zone and just getting them to the cage." Goaltender Robin Lehner will start.
