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

TAMPA – The Buffalo Sabres will look to snap a four-game winless streak when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday at Amalie Arena.

Buffalo is 0-3-1 in its last four games following a 6-2 loss at home against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday. JJ Peterka and Tage Thompson scored goals in that game, which was tied with less than two minutes to play in the second period.

Tonight’s game will be the Sabres’ last before the trade deadline, which is 3 p.m. on Friday. The team got a piece of business done on Wednesday evening, signing one of its pending unrestricted free agents in Jordan Greenway to a two-year contract extension.

The puck drops between the Sabres and Lightning at 7 p.m. Here’s what you need to know in the meantime.

How to watch

TV (national): ESPN

Streaming: ESPN+

Radio: WGR 550

Click here for more ways to watch Sabres games.

Lineup notes (updated 12:45 p.m.)

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen took the morning skate in the visiting net and is expected to start in goal. Jason Zucker will be out for a fifth straight game due to a lower-body injury.

The team did not run line rushes during the morning skate, so check back after warmups at 6:30 p.m. for projected lines and pairs.

Storylines

1. Greenway’s extension

The Sabres locked up a key veteran in the 28-year-old Greenway, who since the start of last season has been a go-to penalty killer and a physical presence for the forward group.

Greenway ranks second among all NHL forwards in shorthanded ice time per game since the start of last season, which was his first foray into regular penalty-kill duties. His 11.57 hits per 60 minutes ranks second on the Sabres this season behind Beck Malenstyn.

Beyond the intangibles, Greenway’s defensive reliability and ability to chip in offensively make for a positive impact at 5-on-5. His expected goals-for percentage of 52.12 ranks third on the Sabres behind Rasmus Dahlin and Zach Benson, according to Natural Stat Trick.

2. Staying busy

Tonight marks the Sabres’ fourth game in six days and seventh game in 13 days since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off break.

There is no let-up in sight. The Sabres finish the month of March with 12 games in 24 days, eight of which are on the road.

“There’s no excuses,” Tage Thompson said postgame on Tuesday. “Everybody is playing 82 games. Everybody has a tough schedule. You can sit here and try to make all the excuses in the world, but when you lace them up in the locker room and go out, you better battle.”

3. Scouting the Lightning

The Sabres have yet to play the Lightning this season, with two more matchups on deck in April. The Lightning currently sit in third place in the Atlantic Division with 76 points, three behind division leaders Florida and Toronto.

Tampa Bay made a pre-deadline splash on Wednesday, acquiring forwards Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand from Seattle in exchange for a package that included two first-round picks. Gourde – a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Lightning – has 17 points (6+11) in 36 games this season. Bjorkstrand has 37 points (16+21) in 61 games.

Gourde and Bjorkstrand are both expected to be in the lineup tonight, joining a roster that boasts an NHL-high four players with 60 or more points in forwards Nikita Kucherov (90), Brandon Hagel (68), Brayden Point (64), and Jake Guentzel (60).

Tonight will mark Buffalo’s first game against longtime Sabres forward Zemgus Girgensons, who joined Tampa Bay in free agency last summer and has played in all 61 games this season.

Game notes

• Peterka enters Thursday on a six-game point streak, with three goals and five assists in that span.
• The Sabres have won five of their last six games against the Lightning.
• Jack Quinn has five points (3+2) in his last five games against Tampa Bay.