Preview: Sabres at Senators

SABRES (4-4-2) at SENATORS (7-3-0)
7 p.m. ET; SN360, SN1, MSG-B, NHL.TV

Sabres team scope

After winning three games in a row, the Sabres lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs, 2-1, Thursday despite outshooting their opponent, 43-29. "We're .500 so we're not very satisfied," Sabres goaltender Robin Lehner said. "Small things are starting to come into place. Consistency is what will bring good things to our team. We have things to work on. Closing games out, we tend to have a few moments in a couple of games where we have kind of been giving away the games. It hasn't been taken away from us. It's been given away." The Sabres power play and penalty kill are each ranked 10th in the NHL. Forwards Ryan O'Reilly, Kyle Okposo and Matt Moulson, who make up the Sabres top line, have scored four goals each, accounting for more than half of the Sabres' 23 goals. The Sabres are 3-1-2 on the road.

Senators team scope

Goaltender Craig Anderson will start after missing a 1-0 win against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday to be with his wife Nicholle, who is battling cancer. "When he's here, he's in," Senators coach Guy Boucher said. "His ability to focus is quite impressive. It's easy to say, but to do? I've seen a lot of players who are good and can focus in normal situations, but once you get to a pressure situation it's a whole different level." Forward Mark Stone will return after missing the game Thursdasy because of a neck injury. Forward Zack Smith, who didn't practice Friday, will play. Defenseman Chris Wideman will miss his second game with an upper-body injury and Fredrik Claesson will play in his place again. The Senators, 5-1-0 at home, have won three games in a row and are playing the last game of a three-game homestead.

Sabres projected lineup

Matt Moulson -- Ryan O'Reilly -- Kyle Okposo
Zemgus Girgensons -- Sam Reinhart -- Tyler Ennis
Marcus Foligno -- Johan Larsson -- Brian Gionta
William Carrier -- Derek Grant -- Nick Baptiste
Josh Gorges -- Rasmus Ristolainen
Dmitry Kulikov -- Casey Nelson
Jake McCabe -- Cody Franson
Robin Lehner
Anders Nilsson
Scratched:None.
Injured:Jack Eichel (ankle), Evander Kane (ribs), Nicolas Deslauriers (knee), Hudson Fasching (groin), Zach Bogosian (knee), Cody McCormick.

Senators projected lineup

Mike Hoffman -- Kyle Turris -- Tom Pyatt
Ryan Dzingel -- Derick Brassard -- Bobby Ryan
Zack Smith -- Jean-Gabriel Pageau -- Mark Stone
Matt Puempel -- Chris Kelly -- Chris Neil
Marc Methot -- Erik Karlsson
Dion Phaneuf -- Cody Ceci
Mark Borowiecki -- Fredrik Claesson
Craig Anderson
Mike Condon
Scratched:Max McCormick
Injured: Andrew Hammond (groin), Clarke MacArthur (concussion), Chris Wideman (upper body).

Status report

Lehner will start his fourth game in a row. The former Senators goaltender is 1-0-1 against Ottawa with a .946 save percentage and a 1.57 goals against average. … Claesson will play his second game. He played 10:21 in his season debut Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks.

Who's hot

Larsson has a goal and an assist in his past two games. … Hoffman has two goals in his past three games.