Buffalo @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 12, 2019 ) Tampa Bay 5, Buffalo 3

The Buffalo Sabres have gone from being one of the best surprise stories in the league to a fading team six points out of a playoff spot and it won’t get any easier when they visit the NHL-best Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night. The Sabres have dropped three straight and are 8-15-2 in their last 25 games after giving up four goals in the third period of Tuesday’s 4-2 loss at Florida.

“I believe in the group,” Buffalo coach Phil Housley told reporters after the setback. “I like our game at times. It’s just mistakes. We’re developing young players right now. We have to keep fighting and pushing. … We’ve got to keep believing in each other.” The Sabres are 1-2-0 this season against the red-hot Lightning, who have won seven straight while scoring a total of 35 goals after a 5-2 victory at Philadelphia on Tuesday. Tampa Bay was without reigning Norris Trophy winner Victor Hedman (lower body), 78-point scorer Brayden Point sat out after missing a team meeting, Vezina finalist Andrei Vasilevskiy was rested and the NHL’s top scorer Nikita Kucherov (99 points) did not make the scoresheet, but the Lightning flaunted their depth Tuesday. “We’ve had situations before where guys are out and our depth really shows,” Tampa Bay defenseman Ryan McDonagh told reporters. “. … We don’t really like to change the way we play no matter what line’s out there or who’s in the lineup, so it’s a good sign that some other guys got rewarded for playing the right way.”

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, MSG Buffalo, FS Sun (Tampa Bay)

ABOUT THE SABRES (28-24-7): Captain Jack Eichel, who told reporters his team is a “fragile group” after Tuesday’s setback, has 10 of his team-best 63 points in nine games this month but owns a minus-11 rating in that span. Jeff Skinner has registered five of his team-best 36 goals this month while posting a minus-12 rating during the stretch and Buffalo has lost right wing Kyle Okposo (concussion) along with defenseman Marco Scandella (upper body) indefinitely. The Sabres are not getting much help from their goalies as Linus Ullmark owns an .888 save percentage and Carter Hutton .877 in February.

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (46-11-4): Kucherov recorded 18 points in five games before being held to one shot in Tuesday’s victory, but captain Steven Stamkos extended his point streak to seven games (five goals, seven assists). Point is expected back in the lineup carrying a six-game point streak (four goals, eight assists) and leads the team with 35 tallies - two more than Stamkos. Vasilevskiy should be back between the pipes with a 6-0-2 record and .957 save percentage in eight games this month after backup Louis Domingue (19-4-0) won his franchise-record 11th straight decision Tuesday with 28 saves.

OVERTIME

1. Tampa Bay F Tyler Johnson needs two points for 300 in his career and RW Ryan Callahan is one assist shy of 200.

2. Buffalo D Rasmus Ristolainen has been kept off the scoresheet in five straight games after notching five points in the previous four.

3. The Lightning leads the league in power-play percentage (30.2) after converting 10-of-24 opportunities in the last six games.

PREDICTION: Lightning 5, Sabres 2