GAME DAY: Sabres vs. Preds, March 7

The Nashville Predators look to conclude their five-game homestand in winning fashion when they face the Buffalo Sabres at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday.

Falling by a 4-3 overtime decision to a team well out of the playoff picture on Tuesday, the Predators witnessed firsthand how dangerous any team in the National Hockey League can be and how quickly those teams can steal crucial points away.

“We're understanding the recipe for us to be good and we did a lot of good things early,” Predators Head Coach Andrew Brunette said following Tuesday’s loss to Montreal. “And there are going to be games like this. This League is hard and the margins are tiny a lot of nights and we lost a little bit of the margin battle tonight, and by a tiny amount. You take away a couple of those goals and you feel pretty good about yourself. Leaving the rink right now, you just feel OK.”

On Thursday, the Predators will get a chance to tighten their margins up against another team out of the playoff hunt and close their five-game homestand with nine out of 10 possible points.

“It's hard to win this League and every team's got great players,” Predators forward Ryan O’Reilly said. “We have to be sharp at all times. It’s the only way to win here and give ourselves the best chance to win. So, it’ll be another good test for us, but we’re looking forward to it.”

Puck drop is at 7 p.m. CT, with the game set to broadcast on Bally Sports South, 102.5 The Game and El Jefe Radio.

Click here to get tickets and find out everything you need to know below:

MORNING SKATE SKINNY

LAST TIME OUT

Nashville’s top line iced a seven-point performance (3g-4a), but the Predators ultimately saw their eight-game winning streak snapped in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday at Bridgestone Arena.

O’Reilly led the Predators with three points (1g-2a) and recorded his fourth three-point game of the season. With a secondary assist on Forsberg’s goal, O’Reilly extended his point streak to five games (3g-4a).

Filip Forsberg’s first-period goal was his 30th of the season and earned the forward his fourth 30-goal campaign, the first since 2021-22 (42). Forsberg (1g-1a) additionally recorded his 20th multi-point game of the season and established a season-high six-game point streak (4g-5a).

Gustav Nyquist’s goal was his 17th of the season and the fourth in his last six outings. With an assist on O’Reilly’s goal, the forward recorded his 11th multi-point game of the season.

The result handed the Predators their first home overtime loss of the 2023-24 campaign and moved the team to 17-15-1 at Bridgestone Arena.

THE GOOD GUYS

Forsberg leads the Predators in points (64) and goals (30); he is tied for 17th among all NHL skaters in goals.

Roman Josi leads his team and is fifth among all NHL defensemen in assists (46); Nashville’s captain additionally shares the lead in goals (15) among League blueliners.

Saros is 26-21-3 in 50 appearances, with a 2.85 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage; he is 6-0-1 in his last seven starts and posted a 1.72 goals-against average and a .941 save percentage during that span.

Kevin Lankinen is 8-4-0 in 17 appearances, with a 3.23 goals-against average and a .892 save percentage.

The Predators lead the NHL in hits (1,704) and hits per 60 minutes (26.9); defenseman Jeremy Lauzon leads the League in hits with 298.

Nashville is fourth in the Central Division with 73 points; the Predators currently hold the Western Conference’s second Wild Card spot.

THE OTHER GUYS

The Sabres enter Thursday’s contest looking to split a back-to-back set after falling to the Toronto Maple Leafs by a 2-1 overtime decision on Wednesday.

Rasmus Dahlin leads the Sabres in points (46) and assists (31), while Jeff Skinner and JJ Peterka share the team lead in goals with 20 apiece.

With Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen receiving the start against Toronto on Wednesday, Eric Comrie is likely to get the nod against Nashville.

Comrie is 1-6-0 after eight appearances, with a 3.87 goals-against average and a .868 save percentage.

Buffalo is sixth in the Atlantic Division with 63 points and a 15-12-4 record on the road.

ALL-TIME MEETINGS

The Predators are 19-12-(1)-2 all-time against the Sabres, including a 6-9-(0)-2 record at Bridgestone Arena. This is the second and final matchup between Nashville and Buffalo in 2023-24; it is the first and only at home.

Nashville is 1-0-0 against Buffalo this season, picking up a 2-1 win at KeyBank Center on Dec. 3. The Predators are 2-3-0 in their last five games against the Sabres; they are 5-5-0 in their last 10; and 2-3-0 in their last five at Bridgestone Arena.

NOTABLES VS. BUFFALO

• Saros made his NHL debut on Nov. 28, 2015 vs. Buffalo.
• Sissons scored his first career NHL goal on March 27, 2014 vs. Buffalo (Matt Hackett).
• Jeremy Lauzon scored his first goal with the Predators on April 1, 2022 at Buffalo (Craig Anderson).
• Luke Evangelista recorded a career-high four points (2g-2a) on March 21, 2023 at Buffalo.
• O’Reilly spent three seasons with the Sabres from 2015-18, tallying 176 points (65g-111a) in 224 games.
• Predators Assistant GM, Director of Player Development and Milwaukee Admirals GM Scott Nichol began his NHL career with Buffalo, skating in five games for the Sabres from 1995-97.

MILESTONE WATCH

• Luke Schenn is three points from 200 in his NHL career.

WATCH & LISTEN

Coverage for Thursday’s game begins at 6:30 p.m. CT with the Predators LIVE! pregame show on Bally Sports South, hosted by Lyndsay Rowley and Terry Crisp. Play-by-play announcer Willy Daunic, analyst Chris Mason and rinkside reporter Kara Hammer will have the call on the television side.

Pete Weber and Jay More will call the game on 102.5 The Game and the Predators Radio Network, with pregame, postgame and intermission coverage by Max Herz beginning one hour before puck drop. The game will also be broadcast in Spanish on El Jefe which airs on 96.7 FM, 105.3 FM and 810 AM. (El partido también se transmite en español por El Jefe en 96.7 FM, 105.3 FM y 810 AM.)