The Buffalo Sabres are playing out the string of another playoffless season, but with four games left in the on the schedule, the club will have a big say on who will win the Atlantic Division and have home-ice advantage in the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Sabres take on the Florida Panthers in the first of back-to-back weekend games in the Sunshine State on Saturday and will start James Reimer in goal. The Panthers are in third place in the Atlantic with 96 points. They would move into a tie for second place with Tampa Bay and come closer to locking up one of the top three spots in the division, moving six points ahead of the Ottawa Senators with a win over Buffalo.
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On Sunday, the Sabres play in Tampa against the Lightning, who have 98 points. Depending on the outcome of the Toronto - Montreal game on Saturday, the Lightning could move into a tie with the Leafs for first place entering the final week of the campaign. Tampa has stumbled in the last few games, with overtime losses to Toronto and Detroit, so on the eve of a critical match against the Panthers on Tuesday, they will need to get two points with Buffalo likely starting Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
The Maple Leafs make their final visit to Buffalo on Tuesday, with potentially a lot riding on the outcome. The Leafs have 100 points and will use up their game in hand on Tampa on Saturday. If they win over the Habs and on Sunday in the second of back-to-back games in Carolina on Sunday, a win at Key Bank Center could conceivably clinch the division, but with the Sabres 13-2-0 in their last 15 games and 22-14-3 overall this season at Key Bank Center and their traditional good fortune against Toronto at home, Buffalo could very well strike a blow to their hated rival’s division-winning aspirations.
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LAS VEGAS -- Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said Saturday after morning skate that he is not concerned long-term with an injury that's kept Alex Pietrangelo out of the lineup.
The veteran defenseman who has missed six of the last nine games, including the last two, will miss Saturday night's home finale against the Nashville Predators, as the Golden Knights look to clinch the Pacific Division.
Star forward Jack Eichel will also miss his third straight game.
Despite their absences, the Golden Knights come into Saturday night winners of three of their last four (3-0-1) while riding a 9-2-1 win streak.
"It's good to have depth, guys that can get in when you're injured, and that's how you end up in first place sometimes, when you have injuries, right?" Cassidy said. "You don't lose a beat because other guys are ready to go."
Pietrangelo, who has missed only nine games all season, is a key part of the Knights' defensive pairings, who Cassidy hopes to have back in time for the playoffs, which start in one week.
The 35-year-old is ninth on the team with 33 points, while his 29 assists are tied for fourth.
Cassidy confirmed it is not the same issue that kept Pietrangelo from participating in the Four Nation's Face-Off two months ago.
"If he was able to play, he would," Cassidy said. "Right now, he's dealing with something, and he's getting better. He's skating, but he's not ready to go in the lineup.
"He's one of the, probably the most competitive guy in there. The Four Nations, I think he addressed that. There was some stuff that he had to take a little time off to be better for us. He came back in the lineup after that. Unfortunately, he's dealing with something different now that should be good to go. I just can't give you an exact date."
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