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

The Buffalo Sabres play their final game before the holiday break against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Tuesday, a matchup between two red-hot Atlantic Division rivals vying to climb their way into the playoff picture.

The Sabres have won six straight games, their longest winning streak since December of 2022. The run has them three games above .500 for the first time this season and just three points back from New Jersey for the second wild card spot.

Ottawa, meanwhile, enters the night on a four-game winning streak, two points ahead of Buffalo in the standings.

Add in a return to Ottawa for Josh Norris, who is playing his first game at Canadian Tire Centre since being acquired by the Sabres at last year’s deadline, and the stage is set for a meaningful matchup to carry us through the holidays.

After tonight, the Sabres will break for three days before returning home to KeyBank Center to host the Boston Bruins on Saturday.

The puck drops at 7 p.m. Here’s what you need to know.

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

The Sabres have been without Tyson Kozak at forward for the past two games due to an upper-body injury. He is considered day to day.

The team did not practice on Monday, so check back following the morning skate (scheduled for 11:30 a.m.) for lineup news, including potential word on a starting goaltender. The Sabres have two strong options based on recent performance: Alex Lyon has won five straight decisions while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is coming off a show-stealing, 26-save effort in New Jersey on Sunday.

Norris returns to Ottawa

Norris played parts of six seasons with the Senators before he was acquired as part of the trade that sent Dylan Cozens to Ottawa at last year’s deadline. He forged strong relationships in that time – including with his childhood teammate, Senators captain Brady Tkachuk.

The deal came as a shock to Norris, but he embraced his fresh start. And, after dealing with an injury to start the season, he’s been a key cog in the Sabres’ current winning streak.

Norris has scored at least one point in eight of nine games since returning from injury on Dec. 1. The lone exception was Saturday’s win over the Islanders, when he had a goal waved off and still managed to score the shootout winner.

Scouting the Senators

Tim Stutzle described the Senators’ offensive identity after scoring a net-front goal against Boston on Saturday.

“That’s our game,” he said. “Getting to the dirty areas.”

The numbers support that assessment. According to Stathletes, the Senators rank second in the NHL on goals scored through traffic (32), fourth in deflection goals (16), and tied for seventh in goals scored off rebounds (14) – all of which fit under the “dirty” umbrella.

Stutzle has been one of the league’s hottest scorers, with 14 points (6+8) during his current seven-game point streak. Drake Batherson has been another consistent contributor with 14 points (6+8) in 10 December games.

The other factor in Ottawa’s winning streak, like Buffalo’s, has been consistent goaltending. Following an uncharacteristic start to the season, Linus Ullmark has won five straight starts and was named NHL Second Star of the Week on Monday.