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

The Buffalo Sabres have an opportunity to inch closer toward first place in the Atlantic Division when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning at Benchmark International Arena on Tuesday.

The Sabres, coming off a 5-3 win in Florida on Monday, are currently in the top wild card spot with 69 points – five behind the division leading Lightning (who have two games in hand).

While the Sabres have shot up the standings during their 21-4-1 stretch, gaining ground on the top spot has proven difficult. The Lightning, at 19-3-2, are the only team in the NHL with a better points percentage than the Sabres during that stretch.

Four remaining head-to-head games – another in Tampa later this month, followed by two in Buffalo – present both teams with the chance to swing the division.

The Sabres found themselves on the other end of the equation Monday, when they fended off a team chasing them in the standings in the two-time champion Panthers. Read about that win, driven by a three-point night from Peyton Krebs, here.

The game will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+ and Hulu with puck drop scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Here’s what you need to know.

How to watch

Streaming: ESPN+, Hulu

Radio: WGR 550 / Buffalo Sabres App

More ways to watch/listen to Sabres games

Lineup notes

The Sabres lost forward Zach Benson to an upper-body injury during the third period on Monday. Benson crashed hard into the boards after being tripped up on a scoring chance, then returned for one shift before heading back to the dressing room.

“(He’s) just being evaluated,” coach Lindy Ruff said postgame. “Couldn’t finish the game. We’ll see where he’s at tomorrow.”

Buffalo had rookie Konsta Helenius as an extra forward against Florida. Josh Norris, out since Jan. 14 with an upper-body injury, has also been practicing with the team and has not been ruled out for a return before the Olympic break.

Alex Lyon made a season-high 38 saves in the first game of the back-to-back set, which likely sets up Colten Ellis for the start in Tampa.

Numbers to know

• The Sabres are 5-1-1 in the second games of back-to-back sets this season.
• Rasmus Dahlin extended his point streak to five games with a pair of assists in Florida. He’s got 10 points (4+6) in that span.
• Dahlin’s two-assist night moved him past Don Luce for seventh place on the Sabres’ all-time list. He’s one shy of tying Rick Martin for sixth place with 313.
• Alex Tuch is also riding a five-game point streak, during which he’s tallied five goals and two assists.
• The Sabres have scored a power-play goal in four straight games, going 4-for-12 in that span.

Scouting the Lightning

The Lighting are coming off a comeback win in their Stadium Series game against Boston on Sunday. Nikita Kucherov continued his outstanding season with four points in that game, upping his season total to 86 in just 49 contests.

Kucherov’s average of 1.76 points per game leads the NHL, ahead of Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon. Darren Raddysh has enjoyed a breakout season, leading NHL defensemen with 16 goals (including one in each of the last four games).

With Kucherov and Raddysh leading the way, the Lightning boast an Eastern Conference leading plus-53 goal differential.