Sabres at Rangers | How to watch, lineup notes, and storylines

The Buffalo Sabres are back on the road to play the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.

After seeing their 10-game winning streak come to an end in the finale of a three-game road trip in Columbus, the Sabres returned home and promptly returned to the win column with a 5-3 victory over Vancouver on Tuesday.

They now turn their attention to an important Eastern Conference matchup – one of several in their immediate future. The Sabres enter Thursday one point out of a wild card spot; the Rangers sit just two points behind them (albeit with three more games played).

Buffalo’s upcoming five-game homestand features three contests against East playoff contenders in Florida, Philadelphia and Montreal.

So, it will be an important week in the standings, and it begins tonight at 7 p.m.

Here’s what you need to know in the meantime.

How to watch

TV (Buffalo broadcast market): MSG (Pregame coverage begins at 6:30 p.m.)

Streaming: Gotham Sports App, ESPN+ (out of market)

Radio: WGR 550 / Buffalo Sabres App

More ways to watch/listen to Sabres games

Lineup notes (updated 6:35 p.m.)

Colten Ellis will start in net, making his first appearance since being concussed Dec. 9 in Edmonton. The 25-year-old is 4-3-0 in eight starts this season.

“He was playing well before the incident happened, and we know with the schedule we’ve got, we need two goaltenders," coach Lindy Ruff said Wednesday.

The lineup is otherwise unchanged from Tuesday's win:

Quick hits

• The Sabres are looking for their 12th win in the last 13 games, a feat they’ve achieved just four times in franchise history – most recently from Nov. 23 to Dec. 19, 2005.
• Josh Doan has scored goals in three straight games, the longest such streak of his career.
• Owen Power enters Thursday on a three-game assist streak, one shy of his career best.

Scouting the Rangers

The Rangers were dealt two major blows on the injury front Tuesday, when they placed goaltender Igor Shesterkin on injured reserve and defenseman Adam Fox on long-term injured reserve. Both players are out indefinitely.

Shesterkin, the former Vezina Trophy winner, ranks sixth in the NHL with 8.26 goals saved above expected, according to Stathletes (although his backup, Jonathan Quick, ranks one spot behind him at 7.82).

Fox has skated an average ice time of 23:34 and has 28 points (4+24) in 30 games.

The losses leave the Rangers down two key players as they look to reverse their fortunes on home ice, where they’re 5-10-4 this season. Scoring at home has been an issue in particular, with an average of just 1.89 goals per game.

New York will be getting a key forward back in J.T. Miller, who last played Dec. 20 because of an upper-body injury. Miller, a Team USA selection for Milano Cortina 2026, has 22 points (10+12) in 35 games.