NHL On Tap: Sabres face Bruins looking to make playoff push

Welcome to the NHL On Tap. Three NHL.com writers will share what they are most looking forward to on the schedule each day. Today, their choices from 10 games Thursday.

Is this the year in Buffalo?

The Buffalo Sabres (31-24-4) haven't qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2011. But something new and different is happening in Buffalo with the young talent assembled under the tutelage of coach Don Granato. The Sabres are three points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference with one game in hand and four points behind the New York Islanders for the first wild card with five games in hand, meaning a playoff spot is well within reach. But it won't be easy, starting with a game at the NHL-leading Boston Bruins (47-8-5) at TD Garden (7 p.m. ET; SNE, SNO, SNP, NESN, MSG-B, ESPN+, SN NOW). The Bruins, who acquired forward Tyler Bertuzzi from the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday, are coming in on an eight-game winning streak. They have a chance to become the first team to reach 100 points this season, which they would do in 61 games, the fewest in NHL history; the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens did it in 62 games. -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer

Penguins go for fourth in row

The Pittsburgh Penguins seek their fourth straight win when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, BSSUN, ATTSN-PT, ESPN+, SN NOW). The Penguins (30-21-9) enter Thursday as the second wild card into the playoffs from the East, three points ahead of the Sabres and Florida Panthers and one point behind the Islanders for the first wild card. Having a healthy Tristan Jarry in goal will be key for Pittsburgh; the Penguins were 4-4-1 in the nine games he missed because of an upper-body injury. Jarry is 2-2-0 since returning Feb. 20 but has allowed three goals in his past two games. Pittsburgh also made a series of trades Wednesday, sending forward Teddy Blueger to the Vegas Golden Knights and acquiring forward Mikael Granlund from the Nashville Predators. The Lightning (37-19-4) will be looking for a measure of revenge after a 7-3 loss at Pittsburgh on Sunday that included allowing six goals in the second period.-- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

Kane and Chychrun to make debuts?

Patrick Kane will make his New York Rangers debut when they host the Ottawa Senators at Madison Square Garden (7 p.m. ET; MSG, TSN5, RDS, ESPN+, SN NOW), but it's unclear if Jakob Chychrun will do the same for Ottawa. The defenseman joined the Senators in New York after being acquired in a trade with the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday. Chychrun has not played since Feb. 10 because he was being held out of the Coyotes lineup for "trade-related reasons." Kane missed New York's 3-2 overtime win at the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday after being acquired in a three-way trade with the Chicago Blackhawks and Coyotes on Tuesday. The three-time Stanley Cup winning forward will be reunited with Artemi Panarin, his linemate for two seasons with the Blackhawks (2015-17). New York (35-17-9) is 6-1-0 in its past seven home games and is third in the Metropolitan, six points behind the New Jersey Devils. Ottawa (30-26-4) has won three in a row and is 10-3-1 in its past 14 games to climb within five points of the Penguins for the second wild card into the playoffs from the East. -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer

Thursday games

Buffalo Sabres at Boston Bruins (7 p.m. ET; SNE, SNO, SNP, NESN, MSG-B, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Sabres had a three-game winning streak end in a 5-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday. Center Tage Thompson (11 points; six goals, five assists) and forward Jeff Skinner (10 points; five goals, five assists) each has a seven-game point streak. Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin will not play because of a lower-body injury. Since joining the Bruins after a trade with the Washington Capitals, defenseman Dmitry Orlov has five points (two goals, three assists) in three games; he had 19 points (three goals, 16 assists) in 43 games with Washington.
Nashville Predators at Florida Panthers (7 p.m. ET; BSFL, BSSO, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Predators (29-23-6) are awaiting news about the return of Filip Forsberg from an upper-body injury after coach John Hynes said Tuesday the forward's return was "imminent." Nashville is eight points out of the second wild card in the West. Forward Matthew Tkachuk has 79 points (28 goals, 51 assists) in 59 games, four points shy of passing Sam Reinhart (82 points last season) for the most by a player in his first season with Florida. The Panthers (30-26-6) are 7-4-0 in their past 11 games and are three points behind the Penguins for the second wild card in the East.
Ottawa Senators at New York Rangers (7 p.m. ET; MSG, TSN5, RDS, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Rangers and Senators split the first two games of their season series, with New York winning 3-1 at Ottawa on Nov. 30 and Ottawa winning 3-2 in overtime at New York on Dec. 2. Senators forward
Tim Stutzle
had three points (one goal, two assists) in a 6-1 win against the Red Wings on Tuesday and center Derick Brassard will play in his 1,000th NHL game.
Pittsburgh Penguins at Tampa Bay Lightning (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, BSSUN, ATTSN-PT, ESPN+, SN NOW)
Penguins center Sidney Crosby has goals in two straight games to give him 544 in his NHL career, tied with Maurice Richard for 31st in League history. The last time Crosby had a goal streak of at least three games was when he scored in four straight from Feb. 27-March 8, 2022. Lightning center Brayden Point has 10 points (five goals, five assists) in a five-game point and goal streak and forward Nikita Kucherov has eight points (two goals, six assists) in a six-game point streak.
Seattle Kraken at Detroit Red Wings (7 p.m. ET; BSDET, ROOT-NW, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Kraken (33-21-6) ended a three-game losing streak with a 5-3 win at the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday. They are tied with the Winnipeg Jets for the first wild card in the West, five points ahead of the Calgary Flames. The Red Wings (28-24-8) have lost three straight, outscored 15-3, after winning seven of eight. They are five points behind the Penguins for the second wild card in the East.
Dallas Stars at Chicago Blackhawks (8:30 p.m. ET; NBCSCH, BSSW, ESPN+, SN NOW)
Central Division-leading Dallas (32-16-13) rallied for a 4-2 win against the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday after going 1-3-3 in its previous seven games. Forward Jason Robertson is one point from 200 for his career (93 goals, 106 assists in 189 games) and could become the sixth player in Stars/Minnesota North Stars history to get there before his 200th game. The Blackhawks (21-34-5) have lost two straight after winning five in a row. Chicago has traded Patrick Kane, defenseman Jake McCabe and center Sam Lafferty this week. Center Max Domi is one point shy of 50, with 18 goals and 31 assists; it would be his second 50-point season in the NHL.
Toronto Maple Leafs at Calgary Flames (9 p.m. ET; TVAS, SNW, TSN4, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Maple Leafs (37-16-8) lost 5-2 at the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday after winning three straight. Toronto, four points ahead of Tampa Bay for second in the Atlantic Division, saw the debuts of McCabe and Lafferty on Wednesday. The Flames (27-21-13) have lost three in a row (0-1-2) and four of five (1-2-2). They are 0-14-3 when trailing after two periods, though they came back to force overtime in a 4-3 loss to the Bruins on Tuesday. Calgary is five points behind Winnipeg and Seattle for the two wild cards in the West.
Minnesota Wild at Vancouver Canucks (10 p.m. ET; SNP, BSN, BSWIX, ESPN+, SN NOW)
Marcus Johansson is expected to make his debut for the Wild (34-21-6) after the forward was acquired in a trade with the Capitals on Tuesday. Johansson played for Minnesota in 2020-21. The Wild are second in the Central, one point ahead of the Colorado Avalanche. The Canucks (24-31-5) got goalie Thatcher Demko back Monday after he had missed 35 games with a lower-body injury he sustained Dec. 1. Quinn Hughes is the first defenseman in Canucks history to have consecutive seasons with 50 points. Vancouver is 19 points out of a playoff spot in the West.
Montreal Canadiens at Los Angeles Kings (10:30 p.m. ET; BSW, TSN2, RDS, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Canadiens (26-30-4) are tied for third in the NHL with eight third-period comebacks this season, including a 3-1 win at the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday. The Vegas Golden Knights (11) and Canucks (nine) have more; the Lightning also have eight. The Kings (34-20-8) will be playing their first game since acquiring defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov and goalie Joonas Korpisalo from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday for goalie Jonathan Quick and two draft picks. Los Angeles is second in the Pacific Division, two points behind Vegas.
St. Louis Blues at San Jose Sharks (10:30 p.m. ET; NBCSCA, BSMW, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Blues (26-29-5) have been outscored 26-11 during a six-game losing streak (0-4-2), during which they are 0-for-22 on the power play. The Sharks (18-31-12) have lost three straight games and six of seven (1-5-1). Defenseman Erik Karlsson's 19 goals are one shy of becoming the third defenseman in Sharks history to score 20 in a season, after Brent Burns did it three times and Sandis Ozolinsh did it once.