The Tampa Bay Lightning are set for an important Atlantic Division matchup tonight, as they host the Buffalo Sabres, the second place team in the division.
The Sabres are making a push to break their playoff drought, as they last qualified for the postseason during the 2010-11 season and they last won a playoff series in 2006-07. This year's team is much more dangerous than the Sabres of old though, as players such as Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin have helped turn the team around.
Buffalo have won seven of their last ten games, including two straight as they've defeated both the Florida Panthers and New Jersey Devils since returning from the Olympic break.
The Lightning have faced the Sabres once this season, as they defeated them in overtime earlier this month. For the Bolts, Anthony Cirelli participated in full practice during an optional skate this morning and could potentially be an option for tonight's game. If so, he'll likely take the place of one of the defenseman, as the Lightning have been running with seven defensemen since returning from the Olympic break.
The game will be broadcast on The Spot in the Tampa market, while for those in New York, it'll be available on MSG-B.
Lightning Projected Lines (based on previous game):
Goncalves - Point - Kucherov
Hagel - Guentzel - Bjorkstrand
Girgensons - Gourde - Holmberg
Sabourin - James
Moser - Raddysh
D'Astous - Hedman
McDonagh - Cernak
Carlile
Vasilevskiy
Sabres Projected Lines (per Mike Harrington)
Krebs - Thompson - Tuch
Zucker - McLeod - Quinn
Ostlund - Norris - Doan
Kozak - Dunne - Malenstyn
Samuelsson - Dahlin
Byram - Power
Metsa - Kesselring
Luukkonen