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

Lindy Ruff said it best during his postgame press conference on Saturday: These are the games you hope to be playing this time of year.

The truncated season series between the Buffalo Sabres and the Tampa Bay Lightning shifts to KeyBank Center at 6 p.m. on Sunday with the two teams tied atop the Atlantic Division at 82 points (the Lightning have two games in hand).

That means the winner of this game – at least for a day – will gain sole possession of first.

“This is really what you would ask for,” Ruff said. “You want a team like that, you want to be able to play them. So, I’m looking forward to it.”

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The Sabres have been the NHL’s best team since their season turnaround began on Dec. 9, now with a 27-5-2 record in that span. They won their sixth straight game at home against Nashville on Saturday. (Read more about that game, including Sam Carrick’s debut, here.)

The Lightning are 23-7-2 in that same span. They hit a skid with four straight losses this past week but corrected course with a 5-2 victory in Toronto on Saturday.

The two heavyweights hadn’t met all season until February. Now, after two entertaining games in Tampa, they’re midway through the season series with a fourth and final matchup due up in Buffalo on April 6. At this rate, that could be a big one.

A refresher on the two prior meetings:

• Feb. 3: The Sabres took a 3-2 lead into the final minute of regulation before Darren Raddysh rifled the tying goal from the point with 26 seconds remaining. Jake Guentzel won it for the Lightning with 15 seconds left in overtime.
• Feb. 28: Buffalo jumped out to a 5-0 lead early in the second period to chase Tampa goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and held on to win, 6-2. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 36 of 38 shots and the Sabres held Lightning star Nikita Kucherov off the score sheet, snapping his point streak at 12 games.

“I think we’re gonna have incredible energy,” Ruff said. “I mean, two teams get to play that are right next to each other in the standings. We had a heck of a game down there and you know they’re going to want to come back at us for the way that game ended up.”

Here’s what you need to know going into tonight’s matchup.

How to watch

TV (Sabres broadcast market): MSG (Pregame coverage begins at 5:30 p.m.)

Streaming: Gotham Sports App, ESPN+ (out of market)

Radio: WGR 550 / Buffalo Sabres App

More ways to watch/listen to Sabres games

Lineup notes

Luukkonen gets the start in goal as the Sabres stick to their rotation. He’s made 152 saves on 162 shots (.938) in his last six appearances dating back to Jan. 19.

Carrick, one of four pre-deadline trade acquisitions by the Sabres, made his debut against Nashville on Saturday and won two faceoffs to close out the victory in the final seconds.

The team’s other acquisitions – forward Tanner Pearson and defensemen Luke Schenn and Logan Stanley – won't play Sunday as they await visa clearance.

Thompson’s streak

Tage Thompson scored on Saturday to extend his career-best point streak to 10 games, the longest by a Sabres player since Jeff Skinner in 2022.

Thompson’s 34 goals this season are tied for sixth in the NHL, while his 29 even-strength goals are tied for second.

His goal on Saturday came at a big moment, with the Sabres trailing 1-0 midway through the second period and looking for a spark.

“Even on the bench, just his poise, and understanding that we’re one or two Tage shots away from being in the lead or tying the game up,” said Josh Doan. “... He kind of mellows us out a bit there when things are getting a little rocky.”

Scouting the Lightning

The Lightning overcame an early 1-0 deficit in Toronto with four goals scored in quick succession during the first period – including one from deadline acquisition Corey Perry, who’s back with the club after a previous stint from 2021 to 2023.

Perry, a net-front presence who promises to bring a physical edge, skated 14:58 in his first game back with the Lightning and had four shots, including his goal.

Vasilevskiy started against the Maple Leafs, which likely sets up Jonas Johansson to get the nod in goal tonight.