Detroit @ Buffalo preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 12, 2020 ) Buffalo 5, Detroit 1

The Buffalo Sabres are following a path eerily similar to last season, stumbling after a hot stretch and seemingly unable to halt a slide that threatens to extend the league's longest active playoff drought. Losers of four of their last five, the Sabres will wrap up a five-game homestand Thursday with a visit from the league-worst Detroit Red Wings.

Buffalo has a four-game homestand on deck following Friday's visit to the New York Rangers, but it has scored only seven goals during the 1-3-1 stretch. "I think there's a lot of reflecting that needs to be going on and guys need to demand a lot more out of themselves than they have," center Sam Reinhart said after Tuesday's 6-1 mauling by Colorado. The Red Wings are in even worst straits, mired in a nine-game losing streak (0-8-1) that started with a 5-1 home loss to the Sabres on Jan. 12. "Obviously, things aren't going the way we want. Every time we think we've hit rock bottom, we go a little further," forward Luke Glendening said after Detroit absorbed its second straight shutout loss in a 3-0 setback to Philadelphia on Monday.

TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: NBC Sports Network

ABOUT THE RED WINGS (12-38-4): Detroit's offense has been stuck in the mud, producing only a dozen goals during its nine-game slide and managing a combined one tally in a pair of losses to Buffalo this season. The offensive doldrums overshadowed a pair of strong outings by Jonathan Bernier, who has turned aside 58 of 61 shots in the past two losses after returning from a seven-game absence. "Obviously it's not an easy situation. Two games, no goals," Bernier said. "We got a couple of days now to reset and get on the road."

ABOUT THE SABRES (23-23-7): Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (upper body) sat out Tuesday and had to exit Wednesday's practice early, leaving coach Ralph Krueger to label him as questionable to face the Sabres. Curtis Lazar (illness) also was unavailable and could miss his second straight game, but Johan Larsson (lower body) was back at practice centering the fourth line and could rejoin the lineup as he bids to halt a 17-game point drought. Jonas Johansson stopped 13 of 14 shots in his NHL debut in relief of Carter Hutton.

OVERTIME

1. Sabres captain Jack Eichel has seven goals and eight assists in his last 13 games and has 16 points in 17 contests versus Detroit.

2. Red Wings F Andreas Athanasiou was a minus-3 in his return to the lineup following a 13-game absence.

3. Reinhart has seven goals and 13 points over the last 12 games.

PREDICTION: Sabres 3, Red Wings 2