Game Preview | 5 things to know ahead of Sabres vs. Rangers

Devon Levi will make his NHL debut tonight when he starts in goal for the Buffalo Sabres against the New York Rangers.
Levi, who signed with the team on March 17 after two record-setting seasons at Northeastern, will look to help Buffalo extend its point streak to four games (2-0-1).
Faceoff is set for 7 p.m. on MSG and WGR 550 with coverage on MSG starting at 6:30. Tickets are on sale now.

On the pregame show tonight, Martin Biron will be joined by Sabres Hall-of-Fame defenseman Jerry Korab from the Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino. Danny Gare will join the Marty and Brian Duff for an interview during the first intermission as well.
And Marty and Dan Dunleavy will have their heads shaved in support of Bald for Bucks over the course of the broadcast. Dan will have his head shaved during the pregame show and Marty will go bald during the second intermission.
After the game, the Sabres will head to Philadelphia for a game against the Flyers on Saturday.
Here are five things to know ahead of tonight's game:

1. Levi's debut

Levi will become the 60th goaltender to play for the Sabres and the 55th to start a game.
"It's exciting. I've been dreaming of this moment my whole life, so for it to finally be here, it's a big deal," Levi said after Thursday's practice. "I'm really excited."
In two seasons at Northeastern University, he posted a 38-22-6 record with a .942 save percentage, a 1.90 goals-against average and 15 shutouts.
He was named the Hockey East Player of the Year this season, is a finalist for both the Mike Richter Award and was a Top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker.
"Obviously, the accomplishments that he's had at the college level are indicative of the work he's put in at the college level," Sabres coach Don Granato said. "That's a major component that we feel we have a player coming out of the collegiate level that has used that time to prepare for this next opportunity as well as anybody."
Read more about Levi's journey to the NHL here.

2. Tonight's lineup

The Sabres held an optional skate on Friday morning. Mattias Samuelsson participated while Tage Thompson and Jordan Greenway did not. Granato said all three are game-time decisions tonight.
Samuelsson has missed eight games with an upper-body injury and Thursday marked his first skate with the team since sustaining the injury.
Greenway now has two practices under his belt after partaking in Tuesday's on-ice session. He's been forced to miss the past four games with an upper-body injury of his own.
Check out yesterday's Practice Report for other news.

3. Season series

This is the second of three meetings between the Sabres and Rangers this season. The last time these clubs met, New York defeated Buffalo 2-1 in overtime at KeyBank Center on March 11.
Granato said the team will need to replicate the defensive effort from that game, particularly with a young goaltender between the pipes.
"That was one of the games that we got back to just simple, direct and hard," Granato said. "I thought we did a nice job of taking time and space away, tactically and through work ethic. We're going to need that exact focus tonight."
They'll meet again for the final time this regular season on Monday, April 10 at Madison Square Garden.
The Sabres are 1-6-3 in their last 10 games against New York; 3-2-5 at home.
This is the 198th game all-time between Buffalo and New York; Buffalo has an 85-73-39 series record. The Sabres are 51-30-18 at home against the Rangers all-time.

4. What else to watch for tonight

With a win, Buffalo would earn its 36th win of 2022-23, which would be the highest win total since the team earned 39 wins in 2011-12.
Alex Tuch has recorded 14 points (8+6) in his last 13 games dating back to Feb. 15 at Anaheim. Tuch has tallied five points (3+2) in his last five games against New York.
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.
JJ Peterka has registered seven points (2+5) in his last seven games.
A point in tonight's game would give Casey Mittelstadt a three-game point streak, which would mark his fourth point streak of three or more games this season.
A goal in tonight's game would give Jeff Skinner a three-game goal streak against the Rangers.

5. The Wild Card race

Here are the latest standings:
| Team | GP | Points | P% | Reg. W | ROW | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | WC1 - New York Islanders | 76 | 87 | .572 | 33 | 38 | | WC2 - Pittsburgh Penguins | 75 | 84 | .560 | 28 | 36 | | Florida Panthers | 76 | 83 | .546 | 32 | 36 | | Ottawa Senators | 75 | 79 | .527 | 29 | 35 | | Buffalo Sabres | 73 | 77 | .527 | 27 | 34 | | Washington Capitals | 76 | 77 | .507 | 26 | 32 |
Tomorrow, the Penguins host Boston, the Panthers are in Columbus, the Islanders face Tampa Bay on the road, and the Senators will take on the Maple Leafs at Canadian Tire Centre.