Game Preview | 5 things to know ahead of Sabres vs. Jets

Don Granato received a text message from Kyle Okposo one year ago yesterday, which he still has saved on his phone to this day.
The Sabres had just lost in overtime to the Flyers, their franchise-record 18th consecutive defeat. Granato was less than two weeks removed from being named interim head coach.
Okposo told Granato the Sabres would win their rematch with the Flyers two days later - which they did, 6-1.
"He said, 'We will win,'" Granato recalled this morning. "And he said a few other nice things for me as a coach that you love to hear. He felt it, the believe system had changed, the confidence was there, and I've always talked about you have to be confident before you win
"… To hear a player that's our leader text me, we just had not won in 18 games, say, 'We have all the confidence in the world. It's going to happen, pretty much guarantee you, tomorrow.' That message will stick with me forever because you're trying to get that belief system and the guys, that ownership, that clarity that they know how to win and what they're executing."

The juxtaposition between that streak and the one the Sabres are currently riding paints a vivid picture of the progress made in just one year. With a lineup that bears little resemblance to the one Granato inherited last March, the Sabres have earned points in six straight games (4-0-2).
They will look to extend that streak tonight at KeyBank Center against the Winnipeg Jets, a team fighting to stay afloat in a crowded Western Conference playoff race.
Tickets are available here.
Coverage on MSG begins at 6:30 p.m. The puck drops at 7.
Here are five things to know.
Video: PREGAME: Granato
The Sabres' growing confidence was on full display in their last game, a 6-5 victory in Chicago in which they erased deficits of 4-0 and 5-4 before winning in regulation.
"I think a lot of it is just not really looking at the past," Tage Thompson, who scored the winning goal with 11.6 seconds remaining, said.
"What's happened in the past is over with. It's a new team, it's a new season. We have a goal that we've set for ourselves to look into the future and try to be a consistent team that plays the same way every night. And hopefully that will lead to consistency in playoffs and eventually competing for the Cup."
The Sabres have a chance at their first seven-game point streak since 2018, when they won 10 straight games.
Mattias Samuelsson is day to day with an injury and not expected to be in the lineup, Granato said.
"He could be fine to play tonight, but if not, it's very [short-term]," Granato said.
Mark Pysyk will join the lineup on defense in Samuelsson's absence.
Here is the full projected lineup based on the morning skate:
| March 30 vs. Winnipeg | | --- | | | C | RW | | 53 Jeff Skinner | 72 Tage Thompson | 89 Alex Tuch | | 74 Rasmus Asplund | 37 Casey Mittelstadt | 71 Victor Olofsson | | 19 Peyton Krebs | 24 Dylan Cozens | 29 Vinnie Hinostroza | | 28 Zemgus Girgensons | 20 Cody Eakin | 21 Kyle Okposo | | LD | RD | G | | 26 Rasmus Dahlin | 10 Henri Jokiharju | 41 Craig Anderson | | 23 Mattias Samuelsson | 78 Jacob Bryson | 31 Dustin Tokarski | | 4 Will Butcher | 13 Mark Pysyk | |
Craig Anderson will start in goal. He is 6-2-1 in his last nine starts.
Jeff Skinner is on a five-game point streak, with four goals and two assists in that span.
Skinner has 27 goals this season, second on the team to Thompson (28).
Winnipeg has won four of its last five games coming off an overtime victory over Arizona on Sunday. The Jets sit three points behind the Stars for the final wild card berth in the Western Conference.
The Jets will be without leading scorer Kyle Connor and defenseman Nate Schmidt, both of whom entered COVID-19 protocol. Connor, having a career year at age 25, ranks sixth in the NHL with 82 points and fifth with 41 goals. Schmidt ranks third among Jets defensemen in average ice time.
Mark Scheifele (3+6) and Blake Wheeler (1+6) are both on five-game point streaks.
Connor Hellebuyck is expected to start in goal.