Sabres Aim for Fifth Straight Win Against Hurricanes Tonight

Buffalo, New York — The Buffalo Sabres will strive to extend their winning streak to five games in a matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes at KeyBank Center on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Following a thrilling come-from-behind victory over the Boston Bruins, where the Sabres triumphed 6-3, the team hopes to secure their longest winning streak of the season and their longest home-winning streak in more than 20 years.

With their recent success adding to an impressive home record, the Sabres have now won six consecutive games played at KeyBank Center, a streak initiated with a win against the Edmonton Oilers on March 10. The franchise last experienced a seven-game home winning streak from October 22 to November 24, 1999, which included an early win over the Hurricanes.

“We’re just trying to make it hard to play,” said Sabres alternate captain Alex Tuch in reference to the energy brought by the home crowd. “The crowd’s bringing the energy, and it’s been great.”

In warmups, the Sabres made one notable change: James Reimer returns as the starting goalie after Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen took the win against Boston. The lines for Tuesday’s game are as follows:

Forwards: Zach Benson, Jiri Kulich, Tage Thompson, JJ Peterka, Ryan McLeod, Jack Quinn, Jason Zucker, Peyton Krebs, Alex Tuch, Beck Malenstyn, Noah Ostlund, Sam Lafferty

Defensemen: Mattias Samuelsson, Rasmus Dahlin, James Reimer, Owen Power, Jacob Bernard-Docker, Bowen Byram, Connor Clifton

“We’ve been working hard as a team and growing, especially in the third periods,” said forward Peyton Krebs. “It’s encouraging to see our hard work pay off.”

The Sabres have won seven of their last eight games, a run that started with a decisive 5-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets, the leading team in the Western Conference, on March 23. Buffalo has put up an impressive total of 40 goals in those eight games—which ties for the third-highest total across any such stretch in the league this season.

On home ice, the Sabres hold a 14-4-0 record since January 1, exhibiting strong performances despite facing nine one-goal games within that timeframe. Going into Tuesday night, Thompson leads the team with a remarkable scoring streak, tallying seven goals in the last four games, including a hat trick against Boston. As well, Tuch has recorded six goals and five assists during a six-game point streak.

“It’s great to see someone who works that hard get rewarded,” Krebs added, commenting on Tuch’s consistent performance. Tuch currently is at 105 blocked shots this season, ranking him third among NHL forwards since 2005-06.

The Hurricanes, who presently sit comfortably in second place in the Metropolitan Division, will bring their own challenges to Buffalo. They come into the game with captain Jordan Staal and Andrei Svechnikov possibly returning after recovering from injuries. This matchup marks the third encounter between the two teams this season, with each side claiming victory thus far on home ice.

As the puck drops at 7 p.m., Sabres fans will be eager to see if their team can extend its winning streak to five games, while also hoping for a long-awaited seventh home win.