Buffalo @ Vegas preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 14, 2020 ) Vegas 2, Buffalo 4

The Vegas Golden Knights are peaking at the right time, ripping off seven consecutive victories to climb to the top of the cluttered Pacific Division. Much of that success has been due to the dominance at home for the Golden Knights, who can match a record for the longest winning streak in franchise history versus the visiting Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.

Vegas kicked off a four-game homestand with a 3-0 victory over Edmonton on Wednesday in a showdown for division supremacy, earning its sixth straight victory at T-Mobile Arena. "We have a good vibe here, but there's a reason we're winning," forward Max Pacioretty said. "We're playing good hockey and coming out of our end with control of the puck and it starts with coming back and supporting our D." The Golden Knights are 11-3-2 under Peter DeBoer entering the matchup against Buffalo, which had won five of six before opening a four-game road trip with a 3-2 loss at Colorado on Wednesday. "There's a lot to take with us here for how we need to play on the road and into Las Vegas," coach Ralph Krueger said after the narrow defeat. "But, right now, all that's at the surface is the pain."

TIME: 10 p.m. ET. TV: AT&T Sportsnet-Rocky Mountain, MSG-Buffalo, Sportsnet

ABOUT THE SABRES (29-26-8): Zemgus Girgensons, Kyle Okposo and Johan Larsson continue to produce by combining for 13 points over the past five games after Girgensons scored against Colorado. Okposo, who has four goals and a pair of assists during a five-game point streak, was not at practice Thursday due to a maintenance day. Captain Jack Eichel, held off the scoresheet in back-to-back games for the first time since Dec. 23-27, has three goals and three assists in five meetings against Vegas, including one of each in a 4-2 victory on Jan. 14.

ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS (35-22-8): Vegas made one of the more surprising moves at the trade deadline by acquiring netminder Robin Lehner, but Marc-Andre Fleury does not appear ready to see his role diminished after running his winning streak to five and recording his second shutout in that span against Edmonton. "All that matters is winning. That's all I care about. Those two points," Fleury said when asked if Wednesday was a statement game. Ex-Sabre William Carrier signed a four-year contract extension worth $5.6 million on Thursday.

OVERTIME

1. Vegas D Alec Martinez has six points in four games since he was acquired from Los Angeles, with which he had eight points in 41 contests.

2. Sabres G Carter Hutton is 2-1-0 with six goals allowed versus the Golden Knights.

3. Pacioretty has scored nine times in 10 games to reach 30 goals for the sixth time.

PREDICTION: Golden Knights 4, Sabres 2