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

The Sabres have played their way past the talk of magic numbers and out-of-town help. Now, the math is simple: Win, and they’re in.

Buffalo visits the Ottawa Senators on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Canadian Tire Centre, where a win of any kind would secure the Sabres’ first Stanley Cup Playoffs berth since 2011.

• Path to the Playoffs | Standings and clinching scenarios
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This dominant run began nearly four months ago, and in last place in the Eastern Conference. Buffalo has gone 35-7-4 since Dec. 9, including two straight wins after last week’s 0-1-2 rough patch, to reach 100 points on the season. As a result, the Sabres are gearing up for late-April hockey, while division rivals like the Senators are just clawing to stay in the wild card race.

"We've got to treat it as any other game," Rasmus Dahlin said. "It's a division game, so it's gonna be a playoff-type hockey game. But we can't overthink it."

The Sabres have won both matchups this season against the Senators, who have allowed 14 goals during a three-game winless streak. Those details, plus Buffalo’s stellar road record, mean Thursday could go down as a memorable night in franchise lore.

Here are the details before puck drop.

Note: Buffalo would also clinch Thursday with an OT/SO loss, a PHI win over DET and a CAR win over CBJ.

How to watch

TV (Sabres broadcast market): MSG (Pregame coverage begins at 6:30 p.m.)

Streaming: Gotham Sports App

Radio: WGR 550 / Buffalo Sabres App

More ways to watch/listen to Sabres games

Lineup notes (updated 6:35 p.m.)

Noah Ostlund (upper body) remains out and day to day. Sam Carrick (left arm) is week to week but could return for (or during) the playoffs. Josh Dunne will slot into the fourth line for his first game since March 5.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will make a third straight start. He leads the league with a .921 save percentage since Dec. 21 and went 6-1-1 in March. Alex Lyon will back up again. 

Here's the projected lineup from warmups:

Notable numbers

• A win would give the Sabres 102 points, their most since 2006-07 (113).
• Buffalo’s power play is 11-for-35 (31.4%) in the last 12 games, fourth best in the league since March 8.
• The Sabres have 13 players with 10-plus goals, the most of any NHL team.
• Peyton Krebs has a career-best 11 goals, eight of which have come in the third period.
• With two assists Tuesday, Josh Norris is up to 27 points (10+17) in 37 games this season.
• Linemates Jason Zucker, Ryan McLeod and Jack Quinn have two goals apiece versus Ottawa this season.

Scouting the Senators

Ottawa figures to be motivated after Tuesday’s 6-3 loss in Florida, which saw Linus Ullmark allow five in the first period. Goaltending has been an issue all season for the Senators with a league-worst .873 team save percentage.

Just two points behind Columbus for the second wild card spot, the Senators are still very much in playoff contention, but their blue line has been decimated by injury. Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot, Nick Jensen and Dennis Gilbert have all been unavailable, and prospect call-up Carter Yakemchuk didn’t finish Tuesday’s game.

The Sabres’ first win of the season was an 8-4 home blowout of Ottawa on Oct. 15. They met again at Canadian Tire Centre on Dec. 23, when Bowen Byram had a three-point night and the overtime winner.