The Buffalo Sabres face the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at KeyBank Center.
After losing just their second game in the last 15, 4-3 to the Florida Panthers on Monday, the Sabres know they need to bounce back quickly. Because now they face the Flyers, tied with Buffalo at 52 points, and then the Montreal Canadiens, who sit a few wins ahead in the Atlantic Division standings.
While the Sabres try not to watch the standings too obsessively, they understand how even a short losing streak could hurt their playoff chances.
“Every once in a while, you might take a peek, check on a few things, but I think in the big picture, we realize how tight our conference is, how tight our division is,” said forward Beck Malenstyn. “Every game is extremely important, and we’ve just got to keep putting our head down and collecting as many points as we can.”
On Dec. 8, when the Sabres went to sleep at 11-14-4 and last place in the Eastern Conference, meaningful games a month later might’ve seemed unrealistic. They’ve since surged their way into the thick of the race and are embracing the challenge of weeks like these – especially on home ice, where Buffalo is 14-6-2 this season.
“It’s the games you want to run into, it’s the hockey you want to play, and it’s really what you dream of: playing competitive hockey every night and at the highest level,” forward Zach Benson said.
Wednesday is also Mental Health Awareness Night at the arena, a celebration off all things mental health in and outside of hockey. Sabres.com sat down with Buffalo’s team sports psychologist Amanda Edwards to discuss the event and her work with Sabres players.
Here’s everything else to know before puck drop.
