Welcome back, Sabres fans! The regular season is officially winding down, and our Buffalo Sabres have just two games left on the schedule before the Stanley Cup Playoffs kick off this weekend. Tonight, the boys are in the Windy City for an 8:30 p.m. showdown against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center.
While simply making the playoffs is a huge relief, the team still has plenty of work to do. Head coach Lindy Ruff has emphasized that the group is keeping a laser focus on the task at hand, recognizing the hard work it took to get here and refusing to take these final matchups for granted.
Here is everything you need to know to get ready for tonight’s puck drop.
The Magic Numbers
The math is incredibly straightforward for Buffalo as we enter the final stretch. Earning just two points tonight will lock up home-ice advantage for the first round of the postseason. If the Sabres can secure three points over their last two games, they will be crowned the Atlantic Division champions.
There is also franchise history on the line. A victory tonight would be Buffalo’s 50th win of the 2025-26 campaign, a milestone this franchise has only reached twice before. On top of that, a win would give the Sabres their fifth winning streak of at least four games this year—showing just how consistently dominant they have been.
Lineup and Goaltending
Expect Buffalo to roll out the exact same forward lines and defensive pairings that we saw during Thursday’s decisive 5-0 shutout over the Blue Jackets.
In the crease, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is expected to get the nod. UPL has been an absolute brick wall on the road recently, racking up nine wins and a sparkling .937 save percentage over his last 13 away starts. He also absolutely loves playing Chicago, holding a flawless 5-0-0 career record against them while allowing less than two goals a game in those matchups.
Milestone Watch
Keep a close eye on our top producers tonight, as several major personal milestones are within reach:
- Tage Thompson: Needs just two more pucks in the back of the net to secure his third career 40-goal season.
- Rasmus Dahlin: He is only one goal and one point away from matching his career highs. Even more impressively, a single assist tonight will push him past Rene Robert for sole possession of fifth place on Buffalo’s all-time assist leaderboard.
- Zach Benson: The young forward is red-hot with 12 points in his last 14 outings, and he is now just two points shy of hitting 100 for his NHL career.
Scouting the Blackhawks
It has been a tough year for Chicago. Despite some early optimism, a rough stretch over their last 35 games means they are locked into last place in the Central Division for the fourth consecutive year.
However, you can never count out their young firepower. Connor Bedard is putting together a fantastic third NHL season, leading the team in scoring with 73 points despite dealing with an injury earlier in the year. The Blackhawks also recently brought up highly touted prospect Anton Frondell, who has immediately made his presence felt with nearly a point-per-game pace since his call-up.
Based on the morning skate, it looks like Spencer Knight will be defending the net for Chicago tonight. The Sabres are currently riding a nine-game point streak against the Blackhawks, which includes a dominant 9-3 blowout victory at KeyBank Center earlier this season.
How to Watch and Listen
- Puck Drop: 8:30 p.m. EDT
- Television: MSG (Pregame coverage gets rolling at 8:00 p.m.)
- Streaming: Gotham Sports App
- Radio: WGR 550 / Buffalo Sabres App
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