Winning consistently remains a problem for the Buffalo Sabres. The Nashville Predators, one of the streakiest teams in the NHL, can relate.
At or near the bottom of their respective conferences, the Sabres host the Predators on Friday night.
Both of these teams own 43 points, which puts Buffalo last in the Eastern Conference, and Nashville third from the bottom in the West.
Though Buffalo is 8-7-1 since its 0-9-3 slide, it’s recorded stretches of back-to-back victories just twice. However, the Sabres broke out for a 7-2 home victory over Boston on Tuesday.
“We’ve said through all of these (games), even in a lot of the disappointments, we’re in this thing together,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said.
Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka each posted a hat trick and added an assist for Buffalo, which matched a season high for goals after being held to two tallies four times in the previous seven contests. Thompson has nine goals with 10 assists in his last 16 games, while Peterka has recorded four goals and nine assists in 12 January contests.
“It’s starting to open up a little bit,” Thompson said. “And when you get stuff rolling like (Tuesday), you’ve got to just ride that wave and keep firing pucks at the net and get to the net.
“When you do that, good things happen.”
The Sabres haven’t experienced much good while losing their last three meetings with Nashville — two of which came at home. However, the Predators have dropped two straight after winning a season-high five in a row.
This season, Nashville has endured stretches of losing at least two consecutive games in regulation six times. Meanwhile, it’s won two or more straight games just four times all year.
After totaling 27 goals during that five-game winning streak, the Predators have combined for three in the last two. Tommy Novak’s first-period score was all Nashville could muster, despite posting 32 shots on goal, during Wednesday’s 3-1 home loss to Vancouver.
“We’ve been creating a lot of offense, so it’s looking up for us right now creating-wise,” said Novak, who has recorded seven of his 16 points on the season in the last five games.
“(Wednesday night) stings to not close that one out and get the lead.”
Despite failing to convert those many chances against the Canucks, the Predators collectively seem positive ahead of an upcoming road back-to-back at Buffalo and Pittsburgh.
“There’s great energy,” Nashville coach Andrew Brunette said. “There’s great effort. Just, this league is hard.”
Predators star Juuse Saros stopped 19 of 21 shots on Wednesday, but has allowed 11 goals in his last three starts. Backup Justus Annunen is 3-0-0 in three January starts, even with a 3.00 goals-against average.
Nashville’s Filip Forsberg had his 10-game point streak (nine goals, 10 assists) end Wednesday.
Buffalo’s Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been solid recently, sporting a 2.35 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage in his last three starts. Backup James Reimer has just one win in eight starts since joining the Sabres, but stopped 61 of 67 shots in the two starts that have come in January.
–Field Level Media
