Florida @ Buffalo preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 18, 2018 ) Florida 5, Buffalo 2

The Buffalo Sabres are trying to snap out of a funk but they may be without their best player when they host the Florida Panthers on Thursday night in the first game of the new calendar year for both Atlantic Division rivals. Sabres captain Jack Eichel had to exit Monday's 3-1 loss to the New York Islanders and was not at Wednesday's practice due to an upper-body injury.

Buffalo coach Phil Housley is expecting an update Thursday on Eichel, the team's leading scorer who earned his second All-Star Game nod on Wednesday night. "This is testing us," said Housley, whose team has dropped three in a row and five of their last six. "Mentally, we're going to fight through this. We've got to stay the course and not break." Florida started Buffalo's current swoon with a 5-2 road win at KeyBank Center on Dec. 18 and is eight points behind the Sabres with two games in hand after erasing a three-goal deficit in Monday's 4-3 shootout win at Detroit. The Panthers have won six of eight overall and have dominated the series against Buffalo, winning both matchups this season and seven in a row.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Florida, MSG-Buffalo

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (17-15-6): Leading scorer Jonathan Huberdeau capped the come-from-behind win over the Red Wings by scoring the lone goal in the shootout two days after setting up the tying tally and delivering the game-winner in a 2-1 victory over Philadelphia. “His vision is outstanding,” Florida leading goal scorer Mike Hoffman said of Huberdeau, who has amassed a team-high 44 points. “Some people on the bench or on TV don’t even see his passes.” Netminder Roberto Luongo was pulled from Monday's game and replaced by James Reimer after surrendering three goals on eight shots, but he will get the nod Thursday.

ABOUT THE SABRES (21-13-6): Sam Reinhart, who plays on the No. 1 unit with Eichel and Jeff Skinner, said it would be futile for any one player to try and fill the void left by the captain, who has 49 points in 40 games. Although Housley said he expected Eichel to be a short-term absence, taking his place at Wednesday's practice was Evan Rodrigues. "Focus on the defense, focus on getting the puck back for us, that way we can play offense, get those guys the puck and let them do their thing," Rodrigues said. "Make sure I'm sound defensively, making sure I'm sound in my own zone, and hopefully that will lead to offense."

OVERTIME

1. Luongo has won 10 of 12 starts against Buffalo since the start of the 2014-15 season.

2. Skinner leads the Sabres with 26 goals and has 11 tallies and 22 points in 31 games versus Florida.

3. Huberdeau has 21 points in 24 games against the Sabres.

PREDICTION: Panthers 4, Sabres 3