Sabres vs. Flyers | How to watch, lineup notes, and storylines

With new hands steering their hockey operations department, the Buffalo Sabres return home to host the Philadelphia Flyers at KeyBank Center on Thursday.

It will be the Sabres’ first game since Monday’s front-office shakeup, which saw Jarmo Kekäläinen replace Kevyn Adams as general manager.

Kekäläinen said he firmly believes the playoffs remain within reach for this season, and that consistency in competitiveness will be the focus to get there.

“I think that the competitiveness, the relentless work ethic that you have, whether it’s on the ice, for practice or in the gym, that’s the talent that we need to focus on,” he said.

“There’s been games this year where we looked like it was going to be easy, and then we lost because we got outworked. That’s unacceptable, and that’s going to be something that we’re going to focus on every day here.”

Kekäläinen relayed that same message to players on Tuesday.

“He’s really driving home the idea that we are character first in this room, and we’re all about competing and all about the hard work that it takes to win,” Alex Tuch said.

• Read: Kekäläinen outlines plan for Sabres | Ruff, players react to GM change

With that message in mind, the Sabres have a chance to check several boxes against the Flyers. A win would extend their winning streak to four games, push their season point percentage over .500, and make up ground on another Eastern Conference contender.

Buffalo is returning home following a 12-day, six-game road trip in which it went 3-3-0 – having lost the first three games before rattling off its current three-game winning streak. That trip started with a 5-2 loss in Philadelphia, a game that saw the Flyers score three first-period goals in a span of just 59 seconds.

The puck drops tonight at 7:30 p.m. Here’s what you need to know in the meantime.

How to watch

Streaming (national): Hulu, ESPN+

Radio: WGR 550 / Buffalo Sabres App

More ways to watch/listen to Sabres games

Lineup notes

Michael Kesselring will be back in the lineup after missing the last 14 games with a lower-body injury.

The 6-foot-5 defenseman has been limited to nine games this season due to two separate injuries – a knee injury that sidelined him in training camp, then a second lower-body injury that occurred on Nov. 15.

Once healthy and acclimated, he projects to be a key part of the team’s defense corps.

“He said he's never been hurt before, so he was having a tough time dealing with what he's been dealing with,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “We know he's a great skater, and I think that we really haven't seen that with the suffered knee injury and then another lower body injury that has really set him back.”

While Kesselring should provide a boost on defense, the Sabres could have absences elsewhere in their lineup due to the illness that has been circulating throughout their dressing room. It sidelined Peyton Krebs for Wednesday’s practice and Ruff said other players were experiencing early symptoms, too.

Stay tuned for updates following the team’s morning skate, scheduled for 10:30 a.m.

Here’s how the group lined up for Wednesday’s practice:

Numbers to know

• Tage Thompson enters Thursday on a four-game goal streak, his second longest this season. He previously scored in six straight games from Nov. 13 to 23.
• Rasmus Dahlin is one assist shy of 300 for his career. He would become the second defenseman in Sabres history to hit that mark, joining Phil Housley.
• Jack Quinn has nine points (5+4) in eight career games against the Flyers, his highest points-per-game average (1.13) against any opponent.
• A win tonight would move Ruff into sole possession of fourth place on the NHL’s all-time list for coaches with 915, breaking a tie with Barry Trotz.

Scouting the Flyers

Philadelphia has maintained a consistent presence in the playoff picture this season, now occupying third place in the Metropolitan Division following a 4-1 win in Montreal on Tuesday.

The Flyers have benefited from strong play in net from veteran starter Dan Vladar (.910 save percentage, 5.93 goals saved above expected) and a balanced offensive attack, headlined by the reemergence of offseason acquisition Trevor Zegras.

Zegras – a highlight-reel talent in his early seasons with Anaheim – had seen his production dip over the past two years, spurring the Ducks to trade him to the Flyers this past summer. He’s been rejuvenated in Philadelphia, where his 33 points in 32 games have already surpassed his full-season total from 2024-25.

Zegras enters Thursday on a five-game point streak, with four goals and three assists in that span.