Sabres vs. Panthers | How to watch, lineup notes, and storylines

Connor Clifton rattled off a long list of qualities that have come to define the Buffalo Sabres’ identity through their current three-game winning streak.

Getting to the opposing net. Clearing out their own net. Managing the puck correctly, particularly with the lead. Tracking defensively to negate rushes against.

All of these traits have been areas of focus since the start of training camp, and they’ve proven to be ingredients to a winning formula for the Sabres as of late.

“We’re playing the right way,” Clifton said. “We’ve been building it since game one, since camp, and we’ve come a long way.”

The Sabres will look to push their winning streak to four games – and push their season points percentage over .500 – when they host the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers at KeyBank Center on Monday.

• Tickets for tonight

It will be the second meeting in less than a month between the two teams, with the Sabres having won the first matchup 5-2 in Buffalo on Oct. 12. They meet twice more in Florida late in the season.

The puck drops at 7 p.m. Here’s everything you need to know in the meantime.

How to watch

TV (Buffalo broadcast market): MSG (Pregame coverage begins at 6:30 p.m.)

Streaming (out of market): ESPN+

Radio: WGR 550

Click here for more ways to watch Sabres games.

Lineup notes (updated 11:25 a.m.)

Nicolas Aube-Kubel will return after missing the last eight games with a lower-body injury. He practiced Sunday on a line with Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn.

Aube-Kubel was asked this morning what he hopes to bring to the line.

"I think speed, play simple, bring some shots," he said. "That will be our focus tonight, try to create stuff off the rush, too. Those two have really good skills, so trying to exploit that."

Jiri Kulich is expected to be scratched to make room in the lineup for Aube-Kubel. He's averaged 14:37 of ice time through seven games and scored his first goal in Columbus on Oct. 17.

"He's been working real hard," Ruff said in regard to the 20-year-old rookie. "His practices have been great. He continues to work on his game to make him a full-time player."

Owen Power is expected to play after missing the third period on Saturday with an illness. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will start in goal for the fourth straight game. Here's the full projected lineup based on Sunday's practice (subject to change):

Storylines

1. The winning streak

The Sabres were 0-3-0 when they hosted the Panthers on Oct. 12. They’re 4-1-1 since winning that night and have scored at least four goals in each of those six contests.

Their current three-game winning streak has them in the thick of the crowded Atlantic Division standings, where five teams are tied with identical 4-4-1 records. The Panthers sit atop the division at 6-3-1.

Buffalo’s last three wins have featured a similar recipe – score the first goal, then lock down the game late.

“We’ve been getting better each day through the process,” Clifton said. “Obviously we didn’t have the start we wanted, but we’re back to .500 now nine games in, so we’re starting fresh here and we’re going to keep getting better and playing the way we can.”

2. Thompson’s point streak

Tage Thompson enters tonight on a six-game point streak after scoring two goals and an assist against Detroit on Saturday. He has scored at least one goal in each of the last four contests.

Thompson is tied for first in the NHL with seven even-strength goals this season. Only four players have more goals at all strengths: Nico Hischier (9), Nikita Kucherov (8), Ross Colton (8), and Cole Caufield (8).

Just as the Sabres’ team success has stemmed from a commitment to details, Thompson credited his hot start to playing the right way and trusting that points will follow.

“I think just the desperation, coming into each night trying to will our team to win,” Thompson said postgame on Saturday. “Just trying to lead by example on both sides of the puck. Not really worrying about the goals or the points. Those things will take care of themselves as long as I’m doing things that are going to help our team win.”

3. Scouting the Panthers

Florida was without forwards Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov when it last visited KeyBank Center. Tkachuk has since returned and played the last three games while Barkov is expected to make his return to the lineup tonight.

Clifton acknowledged the boost the Panthers will receive from having two of their top players but said the Sabres’ focus will remain on playing to their own identity and trusting that results will follow. Just last week, the Sabres defeated a fully healthy Dallas team that had been 5-1-0.

“I think a lot of times it’s on us,” Clifton said. “If we play the game we want to play, we’re going to get that result. We don’t care how they play – if they’re bad, good. If we play our game, we know we can compete, we know we can win.”

Sam Bennett leads the Panthers with seven goals, including one in each of the last four games. Sam Reinhart has a team-high 14 points.

Game notes

- Following a three-assist performance against Detroit, Rasmus Dahlin is three points away from reaching 300 for his career. Phil Housley (558) and Mike Ramsey (329) are the only defensemen in Sabres history to score 300 career points with the team.

- Power enters Monday on a four-game point streak, which matches his previous career high. He is tied for fourth among NHL defensemen with seven even-strength points this season.

- The Sabres are 6-for-6 on the kill in their last three games. Clifton ranks second on the team in shorthanded ice time (26:10).

“It’s been really good,” Clifton said. “We’ve been aggressive, we’ve been making them dump it in and not really letting them in clean, so we have a good chance at a clear. We’ve been clearing it when we can. We’ve just been reading each other. We’ve been playing as a four-man unit, as you should, and when breakdowns happen, guys are bailing each other out.”

The Panthers, meanwhile, boast the league’s fourth-ranked penalty kill at 89.3 percent. They have allowed one power-play goal in the last eight games.