Game Preview | 5 things to know ahead of Sabres at Panthers

Heading into tonight's game, the Buffalo Sabres are five points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins with two games in hand. Tonight's opponent, the Florida Panthers are sandwiched between them with 85 points through 77 games.
If Buffalo is able to win in regulation tonight, they'll be two points behind Florida with a game in hand and three back of Pittsburgh with just six games remaining on the schedule.
Faceoff is set for 7 p.m. on MSG and WGR 550 with pregame coverage starting at 6:30 on MSG.
Here are five things to know ahead of tonight's game:

1. Monday's practice

Tage Thompson was back on the ice with the team for practice yesterday. He's been forced to miss the past three games with an upper-body injury. It's possible that he could return to the lineup tonight.
"It's just one of those injuries that will impede your functioning until it resolves completely, and that could happen overnight," Sabres coach Don Granato said Monday. "And today was a very good sign."

Thompson has recorded 39 points (18+21) in his last 39 games, including 20 points (9+11) in his last 20 games.
With one point in tonight's game, Thompson would become the 10th skater in Sabres history to record 90 or more points in a single season. Daniel Briere's 95 points (32+63) in 2006-07 is the last instance of a Buffalo skater reaching 90 points.
With a goal in tonight's game, Thompson would become the first Sabres skater to score 45 or more goals in a single season since Alexander Mogilny (76) and Pat LaFontaine (53) did so in 1992-93.
Read more in yesterday's Practice Report.And stay tuned for updates here on Sabres.com following Don Granato's media availability later this evening.

2. What else to watch for

The Sabres have notched at least one point in each of their last five games and a point in tonight's game would mark the third time this season that they have earned a point in six or more consecutive games.
This season, Rasmus Dahlin became the first Sabres skater since Jason Pominville (nine in 2011-12) to record eight or more point streaks of three or more games in a single season. He can make it nine with a point against the Panthers on Tuesday.

A point in tonight's game would give Casey Mittelstadt a five-game point streak, which would match the longest point streak of his career. During his current four-game point streak, Mittelstadt has notched seven points (0+7).
With an assist in tonight's game, Mittelstadt would join Thompson (two times) and Dahlin as the only Sabres skaters to record an assist streak of five or more games in 2022-23.
Owen Power has earned one point in three consecutive games and would earn his second point streak of four or more games this season with a point in tonight's game. An assist in tonight's game would give Power his first assist streak of four or more games in his career.
With a goal in tonight's game, Jordan Greenway would earn a three-game goal streak for the first time in his career

3. Season series

This is the fourth and final meeting between the Sabres and Panthers this season. Buffalo defeated Florida 3-1 on the road in the last matchup on February 24. The Sabres are 1-2-0 against Florida so far this season.
In their last 10 games against the Panthers, the Sabres are 4-6-0 and just 2-6-2 in their last 10 on the road.
This is the 111th game all-time between Buffalo and Florida. Buffalo has a 53-48-9 series record. The Sabres are 23-25-5 on the road against the Panthers all-time.

4. Here are the standings

| Team | GP | Points | P% | Reg. W | ROW | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | WC1 - New York Islanders | 78 | 87 | .558 | 33 | 38 | | WC2 - Pittsburgh Penguins | 77 | 86 | .558 | 29 | 37 | | Florida Panthers | 77 | 85 | .552 | 33 | 37 | | Buffalo Sabres | 75 | 81 | .540 | 28 | 36 | | Ottawa Senators | 77 | 80 | .519 | 29 | 35 |
Other games to keep an eye on tonight include:
- Ottawa at Carolina (7 p.m.) - Pittsburgh at New Jersey (7 p.m.)

5. The road ahead

After tonight's game, the team will head to Detroit to take on the Red Wings. Faceoff on Thursday is set for 7 p.m.
Buffalo's next home game - one of just two remaining on the schedule - is Saturday afternoon against the Carolina Hurricanes. Faceoff is set for 12:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now.