Sabres embracing challenge of matchup with Lightning

With wins in two straight games, the Sabres have already checked a number of boxes as they approach the middle of November. They're 6-2-2 in their last 10 games, marking their best such stretch since the end of the 2015-16 season. Their 6-4-2 October matched their best start since 2011.
That success had been teased since the beginning of training camp, when players and coaches spoke of a newly formed culture to go with a revamped roster. It will be put to the test again as the Sabres begin a difficult nine-day stretch, starting with a home game against Tampa Bay on Tuesday.
"We've got Tampa, let's not look too much further than that, but when you look at the next games coming up, we've got [five] games in nine nights against good opponents," Sabres coach Phil Housley said. "That's going to tell a lot about our team.

"In saying that, I'm really proud of what we've done as a group. I'm not talking about results. I'm talking about the chemistry, the culture, the adversity, all those things that we've had to face in a short amount of period. I think the guys have really handled that well."

After beating Pacific Division leading Vancouver on Saturday, Buffalo's next five opponents have a combined record of 49-25-8. The Sabres play back-to-back games in Winnipeg and Minnesota over the weekend, conclude their road trip in Pittsburgh on Monday and return to host Philadelphia on Wednesday.
Sabres captain Jack Eichel recognized the opportunity at hand given their upcoming competition but said it shouldn't change anything regarding their own game.
"Obviously, they have a good team over there," he said. "We know they have a good group of players. They didn't go to the conference finals last year for no reason. They've got a lot of the same guys still there, they're pretty comfortable with each other.
"… For us, I don't think it changes our approach at all. We know what we've got to do to give ourselves a chance to win. We've just got to be ready for puck drop."
Although they've managed to produce comeback wins in their last two games, Housley and Eichel agreed that there are areas the Sabres need to clean up. They were outshot in each of those wins after outshooting opponents a combined 129-83 in the three games prior.
Specifically, Housley emphasized the need to spend less time in the defensive zone against a Lightning team that leads the NHL with 3.65 goals per game.
"I just thought the last couple of games we've gotten away from what has made us really successful," he said. "We let that checking part of our game slip. We know tonight and moving forward against these good teams, in the D-zone we're going to have to kill the cycle game.
"Once we start riding checks and we get all over our defensive zone, that's when things start opening up. We get tired. We're going to have to play particular attention down low below the circles."
The game will be nationally televised on NBCSN. Dan Dunleavy and Rob Ray will have the call on WGR 550, with puck drop set for 7:30 p.m.

Scouting the Lightning

Not only have the Lightning scored at a higher rate than any other team, they also boast the league's third-ranked penalty kill at 87.7 percent. It will be a tall order for a Buffalo power play looking to snap a 0-for-9 stretch over its last three games.
"I think one thing we've got to do is get back the shot mentality," Housley said. "And it doesn't have to be a one-timer, it doesn't have to be a hard shot, we've just got to get pucks in there and get dirty. That's what turns power plays around.
"… I think we've got to continue to hound the message and it's going to break. There's going to be a puck off a shin pad, it's going to hit a defender going in. But the volume of shots has come down and we've got to continue to try to get that volume up."
The Lightning are expected to start backup goalie Louie Domingue, owner of a 3-1-0 record and .885 save percentage in four appearances this season.

Projected lineup

Sam Reinhart was promoted to the top line alongside Jeff Skinner and Jack Eichel in the third period on Saturday, a move that spurred the Sabres' late comeback. He'll remain there against the Lightning, looking to build on a four-game stretch in which he's tallied six points.
Tage Thompson will be in the lineup for the second straight game, while Zemgus Girgensons will step back in to replace Patrik Berglund. Girgensons was scratched Saturday to make room for Thompson, who had sat for four games prior.
"We've got a lot of healthy bodies right now and just trying to get different guys in the lineup," Housley said. "We've changed losing lineups, we've changed winning lineups, and we have a lot of games coming up here so we're just giving guys opportunities."
Here's tonight's full projected lineup, with Carter Hutton expected to get the nod in net.
53 Jeff Skinner - 9 Jack Eichel - 23 Sam Reinhart
43 Conor Sheary - 37 Casey Mittelstadt - 21 Kyle Okposo
17 Vladimir Sobotka - 71 Evan Rodrigues - 29 Jason Pominville
28 Zemgus Girgensons - 22 Johan Larsson - 72 Tage Thompson
19 Jake McCabe - 55 Rasmus Ristolainen
6 Marco Scandella - 4 Zach Bogosian
82 Nathan Beaulieu - Rasmus Dahlin
40 Carter Hutton
35 Linus Ullmark