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

OTTAWA – The Buffalo Sabres will look to win on consecutive nights to close out 2023 when they visit the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Sunday.

The Sabres are coming off a 3-2 overtime victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at home on Saturday. Casey Mittelstadt scored the tying goal with 8:08 remaining in the third period and Jeff Skinner scored the winning goal 1:20 into the extra period.

Buffalo will be without coach Don Granato, who also missed Saturday’s game due to an illness. Rochester Americans coach Seth Appert will continue to assume Granato’s duties.

Pregame coverage on MSG/MSG+ begins at 5:30 p.m. with puck drop scheduled for 6. Radio coverage can be found on WBEN 930 AM.

Here are five things to know.

1. The lineup

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 18 saves for the victory against Columbus, which would likely line up either Devon Levi or Eric Comrie to start against the Senators.

Appert will provide pregame updates to the media around 4:30 p.m.

Update, 4:40 p.m. - Zemgus Girgensons will be activated from injured reserve and return to the lineup after missing the last 17 games with a lower-body injury, Appert announced. Goaltender Eric Comrie has been placed on waivers.

2. Mittelstadt mode

Mittelstadt’s game-tying goal on Saturday extended his point streak to five games, with two goals and four assists in that span.

Mittelstadt leads the Sabres with 31 points this season. He’s tied for ninth in the NHL with 28 even-strength points. The names ahead of him: Nathan MacKinnon (34), Robert Thomas (32), Jake Guentzel (32), Nikita Kucherov (32), Auston Matthews (30), Quinn Hughes (29), Connor McDavid (29), and Sam Reinhart (29).

3. Cozens’ big night

The trio of JJ Peterka, Dylan Cozens, and Jack Quinn had a dominant outing against the Blue Jackets, with the Sabres owning an 11-3 edge in scoring chances when the trio shared the ice at 5-on-5. They were rewarded with Quinn’s second-period goal.

Cozens, meanwhile, filled the scoresheet with an assist, six shots and eight shot attempts in 20:11, the highest ice time among Sabres forwards. He won 15 of 20 faceoffs (75 percent).

4. The season series

Sunday marks the second of four meetings between the Sabres and Senators this season. The Sabres previously won 6-4 in Ottawa on Oct. 24 behind two-goal outings from Skinner and Tage Thompson.

Their next meeting is Jan. 11 in Buffalo.

5. Scouting the Senators

Ottawa is 2-3-0 since making a coaching change on Dec. 18, with Jacques Martin taking over for D.J. Smith on an interim basis. The Senators dropped their most recent game 6-2 to the New Jersey Devils on Friday.

Tim Stutzle leads the Senators with 33 points. Brady Tkachuk has a team-high 16 goals.