Penguins at Sabres preview

PENGUINS (33-22-8) at SABRES (29-26-8)
7 p.m. ET; SN, MSG-B, ATTSN-PT, NHL.TV

Pittsburgh acquired the defenseman in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks for forward Tanner Pearson prior to the NHL Trade Deadline on Monday.
The Penguins are tied in points (74) with the Carolina Hurricanes, who hold the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference. Pittsburgh is 5-2-1 in its past eight games after going 2-5-1 in its previous eight and has scored and allowed at least four goals in four of its past six games.
The Sabres, eight points behind the Hurricanes and Penguins, have lost two straight and are 4-8-2 in their past 14 games. Buffalo has allowed at least four goals in five of its past seven games.

Players to watch

Penguins forward Sidney Crosby has 16 points (four goals, 12 assists) in his past nine games and is one goal from tying Jaromir Jagr (439) for second in Pittsburgh history. Mario Lemieux holds the Penguins record with 690 goals.
Sabres forward Jack Eichel has eight points (four goals, four assists) in a six-game point streak.

They said it

"We have our destiny in our own hands and that's encouraging from our standpoint. We've got a great opportunity, starting tonight, that we've got to make sure we take advantage of. That's how we look at it." -- Penguins coach Mike Sullivan on Pittsburgh being out of a playoff spot
"We realize the position we're in, we realize the position Pittsburgh is in, and the importance of the game but what we can control is how we play, how we manage the game, our effort, our attitude coming into this game. Those are the things we look at." -- Sabres coach Phil Housley

Penguins projected lineup

Jake Guentzel -- Sidney Crosby -- Patric Hornqvist
Zach Aston-Reese -- Evgeni Malkin - Phil Kessel
Jared McCann -- Nick Bjugstad -- Dominik Simon
Teddy Blueger -- Matt Cullen -- Garrett Wilson
Jack Johnson -- Justin Schultz
Erik Gudbranson -- Marcus Pettersson
Zach Trotman -- Juuso Riikola
Matt Murray
Casey DeSmith
Scratched: None
Injured: Olli Maatta (upper body), Brian Dumoulin (concussion), Kris Letang (upper body)

Sabres projected lineup

Jeff Skinner -- Jack Eichel -- Sam Reinhart
Conor Sheary -- Evan Rodrigues -- Kyle Okposo
Scott Wilson -- Casey Mittelstadt -- Tage Thompson
Zemgus Girgensons -- Johan Larsson -- Jason Pominville
Jake McCabe -- Rasmus Ristolainen
Rasmus Dahlin -- Zach Bogosian
Matt Hunwick -- Brandon Montour
Linus Ullmark
Carter Hutton
Scratched: Casey Nelson
Injured:Marco Scandella (lower body), Vladimir Sobotka (upper body)

Status report

Sullivan said neither Dumoulin nor Letang are with the team on the trip. Dumoulin skated yesterday but Letang did not. … Scandella, who participated in an optional morning skate, and Sobotka each is day to day.

Stat pack

Hornqvist, selected by the Nashville Predators in the seventh round (No. 230) of the 2005 NHL Draft, will play in his 700th NHL game, becoming the second player chosen with the final pick of the NHL Draft to reach the milestone, joining Kim Johnsson, chosen by the New York Rangers in the 11th round (No. 286) of the 1994 NHL Draft (739 games). … Malkin has 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in his past 11 games. … Skinner needs one goal to tie his NHL career high of 37, set with the Hurricanes in 2016-17.
Photo courtesy of Pittsburgh Penguins