"It's belief, it's confidence," Sabres coach Phil Housley said. "You look at early on, there were a lot of one-goal games, we didn't come on the right side of them, and that can have an effect on a team over a long period because you lose confidence, you lose trust. We've built that."
What the Sabres have done well as of late, according to forward Scott Wilson, is similar to what got them on the right path in Calgary back in January. Against Toronto on Monday, the Sabres started strong and scored the first two goals, kept opposing shots to the outside as much as possible and got in front of the opposing goaltender.
"I think at this point we're just trying to find our identity and play that way every night," Wilson said. "Sometimes you get away from it, but I think the last week or two we've really found ourselves and just competed every night which has been the biggest difference."
Chad Johnson, a member of the Flames last season and a Calgary native, made 32 saves to earn the win in the first matchup between the two teams. Including that game, he's 6-0-2 in his last nine appearances with a .933 save percentage and a 2.05 goals-against average. He'll get his second-straight start following a 38-save performance on Monday.
Calgary sits three points back from Los Angeles for the second wild card berth in the Western Conference. Johnny Gaudreau leads the team with 74 points (24+25), followed by linemate Sean Monahan with 58 (29+29). The Flames are currently without All-Star goaltender Mike Smith, out since Feb. 13 with a lower-body injury.
"They're a rush team," Housley said. "Obviously, you've got to manage the puck and be smart about it. They're trying to get out behind you all the time and trying to stretch the ice. … They're talking about this as their season, these next two games against us and Ottawa, so we're going to have to match that desperation."
The Sabres recalled Danny O'Regan from Rochester on Wednesday morning with Kyle Criscuolo and Evan Rodrigues both out due to injuries, but will not dress him against the Flames. Benoit Pouliot will slide over to center to fill in for Criscuolo, while Seth Griffith will enter the lineup at wing.
Criscuolo was acquired along with a pair of draft picks in exchange for Evander Kane on Feb. 26. Housley left the door open for him to enter the lineup when the Sabres play in Ottawa on Thursday.
