Sharpen Up: March 7, 2021 | Sabres ready for last game at the Coliseum

Today marks the Buffalo Sabres' final regular-season game at Nassau Coliseum, which opened in 1972. The New York Islanders will have a new home next year: UBS Arena in Belmont, New York.
Buffalo is looking to snap an 0-5-1 stretch and pick up its first win of the current five-game road trip (they're 0-3-0 so far).
It's the third game in a row in which the Islanders and Sabres will play each other. New York has won the first two games, both by a 5-2 score.
Faceoff between the two clubs is scheduled for noon today. Catch the action on NBC. Dan Dunleavy and Rob Ray will have the call on WGR 550.
Here's what you need to know.

A look back at yesterday's game

Less than 24 hours after being publicly challenged by general manager Kevyn Adams to improve their play, the Sabres put together a decent first period. They scored first - 33 seconds in - on rookie defenseman Jacob Bryson's first NHL goal.
Bryson is the third player in Sabres history to score the first goal of his NHL career in the opening minute of a game, according to @PR\_NHL.
Danny Gare (0:18 in on October 10, 1974) and Alexander Mogilny (0:20 in on October 5, 1989) are the others.
"It was so exciting," Bryson, skating in his sixth NHL game said. "I've been waiting for that for a long time."

The Sabres went into the first intermission with a 1-0 lead, but it would not last. New York scored four times in the second period, including three goals in 4:54, essentially putting the game out of reach.
"We wanted to come in with some energy," defenseman Brandon Montour said. "I think we did that. When you have a period like that, you get some positive feedback, 'We can play with them.' Get a goal against and it just kind of deflates from there again.
"We wanted to come in and play a full 60. One period won't do it."
Credit where its due, the first Islanders goal, scored by Mathew Barzal, was one of the best you'll ever see.

Sam Reinhart scored to make it 4-2 in the first minute of the third period, but the Islanders quickly regained their three-goal lead.
"We need to look it in the eyes," Sabres coach Ralph Krueger said after the game. "That's all we can do. Look it in the eyes, continue to communicate about it and clearly something we need to fix. It's not an easy fix, that's for sure. But it's something we're going to be speaking about here tonight."
Check out our Postgame Report for more.

Today's matchup

From @SabresPR's Game Notes…

The impact of Learn To Play

More girls are playing hockey thanks to the Sabres' Learn To Play Program. We checked in on one training session that's run by current and former professional women hockey players:

Why do we love backyard rinks so much?

The snow is starting to melt, but before spring rolls around, our camera crews traversed Western New York to find out what it is about skating outside on their own backyard rinks that hockey fans love so much.
Eric Staal and Kyle Okposo, who both grew up playing outdoors, also share their thoughts: