In the midst of yet another winning streak, the Buffalo Sabres turn their attention to an important stretch of Eastern Conference home games beginning Monday against the Florida Panthers at KeyBank Center.
The Sabres opened their five-game homestand with a 5-3 victory over Anaheim in front of a sellout crowd on Saturday. It was their third straight win and 13th in the last 14 games – making them the first group in franchise history to accomplish the latter feat.
Now, they’ll play three games in four nights against Florida, Philadelphia and Montreal – all of which are contenders in the crowded Eastern Conference playoff race.
Buffalo enters Monday in the first wild card spot, two points ahead of Florida.
“This is what we’ve been waiting for,” forward Josh Doan said postgame on Saturday. “We’ve been following along with the standings, and it seems whenever east coast teams play each other, it ends up in an overtime or a shootout.
“So, it’s hard to gain points and gain a little separation from teams. But it’s an opportunity for us and a big one where we need to obviously take advantage of being at home for them.”
The Sabres have won six straight games at KeyBank Center. Their .714 points percentage at home this season (14-5-2) ranks second in the NHL to Colorado.
As the wins have stacked at home, momentum in the stands has followed. The win over Anaheim was Buffalo’s sixth sellout of the season and carried a palpable buzz from anthems to the final horn.
“You can feel the energy off every play,” said Doan, a first-year Sabre. “We were told coming here that, when you’re winning, it’s the best place to play, and you’re starting to feel that.”
The puck drops at 7 p.m. Here’s what you need to know.
