Sharpen Up: November 17, 2018

The Sabres beat Winnipeg 2-1 in a shootout last night thanks in large part to the play of goaltender Carter Hutton. They're in Minnesota tonight for a game against the Wild. Can they win their fifth game in a row? Let's find out.
The GMC Game Night pregame show on MSG starts at 5:30 p.m. Faceoff on MSG and WGR 550 is scheduled for just after 6.
Here's what you need to know.

About last night

From the Lexus Postgame Report…
It's become a winning recipe as of late for the Buffalo Sabres - stellar goaltending from Carter Hutton, a timely goal from Jeff Skinner and a belief that they're never really out of a game.
All those ingredients came together once again in a 2-1 shootout win over the Winnipeg Jets on Friday. Hutton kept them in it when the Jets made an early push, Skinner erased a one-goal deficit 53 seconds into the third period and Jack Eichel, Jason Pominville and Conor Sheary tallied goals in the seven-round shootout.
The Sabres have won four games in a row for the first time since December 2014. They've done it against opponents with a combined record of 44-25-8.

"We bent a little bit, but we didn't break," Sabres coach Phil Housley said. "I think last year we maybe would have broken a little bit more and gave the game away. We hung in there. That's what's great about this group, that they stick with it.
"We make some adjustments between periods and they follow through with those adjustments. It's great for them. They've showed the resiliency up to this point in the season."
The Jets didn't break through until 7:10 in the second period, when Kyle Connor buried a 2-on-1 feed from Patrik Laine. All said, the damage could have been worse.
"That's a good hockey team over there," Hutton said. "We expected them to tilt the ice a little bit, especially at home. I've played against them enough in my career to know that they're going to come. Fortunately enough, we kept them at one there."

The Sabres began the third period down a goal with 1:42 remaining on their third power play of the night. They entered the night amid a 0-for-10 drought with the extra man, and Housley stressed getting pucks to the net as a remedy.
Skinner's tying goal was vindication. Patrik Berglund - a new addition to Buffalo's top unit - won a battle along the boards down low and passed to Rasmus Dahlin at the point, who then moved the puck to Eichel on the left flank. Eichel took a quick shot, and Skinner was able to go top shelf with the rebound.
"You look at the power play, we just kept trying to shoot, trying to get the puck to the net," Housley said. "The volume of shots was there. And then we get in there and it creates second and third opportunities. That's a perfect example."
The full recap can be read right here.

Tre'Davious White's goalie lessons are clearly paying off

One thng's for sure: Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre White is happy to see Hutton, his former student at the, um, Tre White Goaltending Academy of Louisiana, doing well...
Tweet from @TreWhite16: My Protege Made Me Proud Tonight .. Sutton I Mean HUTTON lol 😂 @CarterHutton
Need more explanation? It's right here:

Tonight's matchup

From @SabresPR's Game Notes…

• Jason Pominville has recorded five points (1+4) in his last five games against the Wild, including an assist in both matchups since he re-joined the Sabres last season.
• Jack Eichel has three points (2+1) in his last three games against the Wild.
• Sam Reinhart (2+1) and Jake McCabe (0+2) each recorded a point in both of Buffalo's meetings with Minnesota last season.
  Linus Ullmark stopped 28 of 30 shots to earn a win in his only previous game against the Wild on Jan. 12, 2016.