The Buffalo Sabres head into Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night looking to steady a late-season wobble when they face the New York Rangers at 7:00 PM ET. Buffalo is 47-23-8, while the Rangers are 33-36-9 and sitting eighth in the Metropolitan Division.
The Sabres have been through a tough stretch, going 2-3-2 while playing several games against playoff teams and clubs still fighting for postseason lives. They beat Tampa in Buffalo's big win on Monday night, but their recent form has been uneven enough to leave little room for comfort as they try to keep pace in the standings.
That slide has tracked with some quiet production from key forwards. Josh Doan has two goals in his last 11 games, Josh Norris has two goals in his last 11, and Ryan McLeod has gone without a goal over that same span while collecting two points. Buffalo has also had trouble finishing on the power play since a 2-for-4 night against the Islanders four games ago, going 0-for-11 since then.
The special teams drop has pushed Buffalo from hovering around 15th in the NHL on the power play to 18th, a warning sign for a team trying to climb rather than protect position. The Rangers, meanwhile, arrive after beating Washington 8-1 in their previous game and remain long out of the race, with the season now pointing toward a top-five draft pick.
For Buffalo, the stakes are more immediate. The Sabres are jockeying with Tampa and Montreal, and the difference between finishing the year with momentum or with questions will be felt in nights like this one, when an opponent across the ice is playing for next season and not this one.
