Minnesota @ Buffalo preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 17, 2018 ) Buffalo 3, Minnesota 2

Hoping to use a seven-game homestand as a springboard to climb back into playoff contention, the Buffalo Sabres instead found themselves trying to regroup from another ugly loss. After being manhandled in a 7-3 setback to the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night, Buffalo will hope for better success against another Central Division foe when it hosts the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night.

The Sabres have lost their way since ripping off 10 straight victories in November, which included a 3-2 win at Minnesota, but they have allowed at least four goals in six of the last eight games. "The learning experiences are far over now. We're 50-some-odd games into the season," captain Jack Eichel said. "Mistakes are costing us points, and that's points in the standings that we can't lose." Like Buffalo, the Wild are coming off consecutive losses to Dallas and Chicago and now face the prospect of playing four games in six days, including three on the road. "You'd really like to get ahead of it by winning the first game of the week and pushing forward rather than playing uphill," Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau said. "We want to get ahead and be ahead."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS North, FS Wisconsin (Minnesota), MSG-Buffalo

ABOUT THE WILD (26-22-4): Victor Rask, acquired in a trade with Carolina last month, got off to a slow start with Minnesota and it didn't help his cause that the player he was traded for (Nino Niederreiter) amassed five goals in his first five games with the Hurricanes. Rask finally broke through with his new club and it came at an opportune time as he scored the tying goal late in the third period to force overtime against the Blackhawks. "Better and better for every game," said Rask, who played with Jordan Greenway and Marcus Foligno after Pontus Aberg was hurt. "It takes a little time, but it's just hockey. Just go out there and play."

ABOUT THE SABRES (25-20-6): Coach Phil Housley shook things up at Monday's practice, shuffling all four lines and top three defensive pairings along with both power-play units. Housley moved his previous top unit of Eichel, Jeff Skinner and Sam Reinhart to three separate lines as he seeks to find some balance throughout the lineup. "Different lines are going to be different lines, but we have to play better without the puck, and we have to defend better," said Kyle Okposo, who was paired with Eichel and Conor Sheary. "No matter what line combinations you throw out there, if you don't do that, you're not going to win many games."

OVERTIME

1. Minnesota has won five in a row and nine of 11 all-time in Buffalo.

2. Buffalo has converted 7 of 51 chances on the power play in the last 19 games.

3. The Wild recalled Fs Luke Kunin and Kyle Rau from Iowa of the American Hockey League and waived D Nate Prosser and F J.T. Brown.

PREDICTION: Wild 3, Sabres 2