Sharpen Up: April 10, 2023 | Sabres enter stretch of 4 games in 5 days

The Buffalo Sabres are one of four teams still vying for a Wild Card position as the NHL heads into the final week of the regular season.
Buffalo is on the road to take on the New York Rangers tonight, opening up the first of two back-to-back sets this week.
Faceoff is at 7 p.m. on MSG and WGR 550. Rick Jeanneret will join the pregame show from Madison Square Garden, which begins at 6:30 on MSG.
Here's what you need to know.

Last week's big story

The Sabres remain in the mix as one of four teams still vying for a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
For their best shot at making the playoffs, they'll need to win all of their four remaining games to reach 93 points and then they'll need some help from the teams playing the Panthers (max. 95 points), Islanders (max. 95 points) and Penguins (max. 94 points).
Here's how the standings currently shake out:
| Team | GP | Points | P% | Reg. W | ROW | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | WC1 - Florida Panthers | 80 | 91 | .569 | 36 | 40 | | WC2 - New York Islanders | 80 | 91 | .569 | 35 | 40 | | Pittsburgh Penguins | 80 | 90 | .563 | 31 | 39 | | Buffalo Sabres | 78 | 85 | .545 | 29 | 37 |
And here the other games tonight to keep an eye on:
The Penguins host the Blackhawks at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow.

The games ahead

It's an extremely busy week with four games in five days.
Following tonight's game, the team will head to New Jersey for a match against the Devils tomorrow night at 7.
The home portion of the schedule wraps up Thursday against the Ottawa Senators at KeyBank Center. Tickets are on sale now.
And then the final game of the regular season will be played on Friday in Columbus. Faceoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

What else to watch for this week

Fans in attendance for Fan Appreciation Night on Thursday will have a chance to win a variety of prizes and experiences throughout the night.
The first 15,000 fans will receive a goathead-themed T-shirt resented by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York that commemorates this season's roster. The team will take the ice once again in their third jerseys as well.

As fans enter the arena, they will be treated to music by DJ Milk, they'll be able to take photos in front of a Let's Go Buffalo balloon and light display, and enjoy sampling and giveaways from corporate partners including Truly, New Amsterdam Vodka, and Seneca Resorts and Casinos.
T-shirts, koozies, autographed pet calendars, team-branded flags and much more are also up for grabs as part of Lucky Row Giveaways thanks to the team's corporate partners including Moe's Southwest Grill, Northtown Automotive, Seneca Resorts and Casinos and WellNow.
The 2022-23 Fan of the Year will be recognized during a pregame ceremony on the ice that will also announce the winner of this year's Rick Martin Memorial Award winner presented by the team's Gold Ring partners (KeyBank, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and LECOM).
Rasmus Dahlin, Kyle Okposo and Alex Tuch are this year's Rico Award finalists. The award, as voted on by the fans, honors the player who best demonstrates on-ice excellence, resiliency, and dedication to the community.
During the first intermission, the three finalists of the Toyota Truck Giveaway will take the ice to see which one is lucky enough to win the grand prize of a two-year lease for a Toyota Tacoma.
Tickets for the final 50/50 Raffle of the regular season featuring a guaranteed jackpot of $50,000 are on sale now. All combined proceeds from raffle sales on Saturday and Thursday will be rolled over to the final regular-season home game and the winning numbers will be pulled during the third period on April 13.
Fans in New York State can buy tickets online now at Sabres.com/5050 or from vendors at KeyBank Center on Thursday.
In addition to the grand prize, those who buy a raffle ticket will be eligible for these second-chance prizes (which will also be drawn on Thursday):
There will also be expanded prizing for fans who play Predict the Sabres presented by Seneca Resorts and Casinos. Sabres fans can click here to play or visit the official Buffalo Sabres app.
And the giveaways don't stop with the final home game of the season.
Fans who tune in to the broadcast on MSG against Columbus on Friday starting at 7 p.m. can scan a special QR Code and gain access to a special URL so they can enter to win great prizes.
Viewers who enter this year's Fan Appreciation Night at Home sweepstakes could win one of three great prizes: a $500 KeyBank Possibilities Card, a goathead duo jersey pack (featuring a Reverse Retro and a black and red Sabres third jersey) or a VIP Game Night Experience for the 2023-24 season.