Buffalo @ Nashville preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 12, 2019 ) Nashville 3, Buffalo 4

The Buffalo Sabres look to steam into the All-Star break with a four-game winning streak when they finish a quick road trip against the struggling Nashville Predators on Saturday night. The Sabres have won five of seven to slide back into contention in the Eastern Conference playoff chase and allowed four goals in the past three games after shutting the door at Dallas in the final 20 minutes of a 4-1 victory Thursday.

“It was pretty outstanding from us in the third period,” forward Michael Frolik told reporters after scoring his first goal in his fifth game with Buffalo. “We were pretty good in the neutral zone and created turnovers there. … We hung on to the puck and had some good, heavy shifts there. … Great effort tonight.” Captain Jack Eichel scored twice in a 4-3 victory over the Predators at home Dec. 12 and will be riding a nine-game point streak when the Sabres take on Nashville, which is 2-3-0 since John Hynes replaced Peter Laviolette as coach. The Predators recorded two strong road victories before losing at Edmonton 4-2 on Tuesday and suffering a demoralizing home defeat against Anaheim by the same score two days later. “No one is going to give this group confidence,” Hynes told reporters. “Confidence comes through your preparation, how you’re going to play, playing the game the right way and doing the right things. That’s our task moving forward is getting this group mentally focused and (to have) more push-back in our game.”

TIME: 8 p.m. ET. TV: MSG Buffalo, FS Tennessee

ABOUT THE SABRES (22-19-7): Eichel boasts four scores and seven assists during his streak to push his team-leading totals to 28 goals and 62 points - 22 more than the next highest total for Buffalo. Fellow forward Sam Reinhart owns four goals and five assists in seven games this month to improve his total to 40 points while defenseman Rasmus Dahlin recorded six of his 27 points in the last six games. Linus Ullmark (16-12-3, .913 save percentage) has seized the No. 1 goalie spot from veteran Carter Hutton (6-7-4, .892) and is 5-1-0 with a .929 SP in January, allowing two or fewer goals in five of his six starts this month.

ABOUT THE PREDATORS (21-18-7): Roman Josi managed one point in the past three games (assist), but the All-Star defenseman has totaled 21 in the last 15 contests overall to lead the team with 47. Forward Filip Forsberg leads the team with 16 goals and is second on the team in points (32) while right wing Viktor Arvidsson has scored 11 times - twice in his last four outings - and set up nine others in 34 games this season. If Nashville is to make the playoffs, it must be better defensively and in net where veteran Pekka Rinne (15-10-3, .896 SP) and Juuse Saros (6-8-4, .895) have not been able to plug the holes.

OVERTIME

1. Nashville reassigned Fs Yakov Trenin and Alexandre Carrier along with D Jarred Tinordi to AHL Milwaukee on Friday.

2. The Sabres are 6-for-16 with the man advantage the last six games while the Predators allowed 13 power-play goals in the past nine contests.

3. Buffalo F Zemgus Girgensons registered three of his nine goals this season in the last four games.

PREDICTION: Predators 3, Sabres 2