Must Keep Winning in this Jumbled Playoff Race
Buffalo Sabres (22-15-4) vs N.Y. Rangers (20-18-6)
Puck Drop: 7:00 pm Eastern Time | Madison Square Garden | The Big Apple
TV: MSG, ESPN+
Radio: WGR 550
Know Your Opponent
New York Rangers
Record: (20-18-6) | 46 PTS
Last Game: Lost to Utah 3-2 in OT
Division Ranking: 7th place in the Metro
PP: 10th, 22.2% (Sabres: 21st, 17.9%)
PK: 15th, 80.5% (Sabres: 2nd, 84.8%)
What to Watch
1. Rangers Injuries
New York was dealt a pair of injury blows on Tuesday, as defenseman Adam Fox and goaltender Igor Shesterkin were placed on injured reserve. Both went down in the game against Utah. Fox will not be eligible to return until almost February. Shesterkin is still being evaluated. That takes two of New York’s best players out of the lineup as they prepare to host Buffalo.
The Sabres’ offense will still have their work cut out for them, though. Two-time Stanley Cup winner and now 39 year old goalie Jonathan Quick will take over in net. So far this season, Quick has a .919 save percentage and a 2.23 goals against average. Incredible numbers to be sure, yet his record is just 3-6-2, as New York has not provided him much goal support. Hopefully that trend continues.
2. Sustainability
If Buffalo makes the playoffs and finally ends this dreaded drought, the ten game winning streak will be a big part of that. But if the Sabres are going to seal the deal in the second half of the year, they need to show real sustainability. They need to consistently win 3 out of every 5 games, no long losing steaks and no long winning streaks needed either. (though that would be nice and helpful) Keep it going in small windows of 5 games at a time. Winning 3 of every 5 would give Buffalo 24 more wins in the back half of the 2025-26 season and put the Sabres at about 100 points. Unfortunately, it may actually take that much to qualify in this crazy and highly competitive Eastern Conference. How devastating would it be for our boys to finish around 97 points and NOT MAKE IT. Usually, 92 or 93 points is good enough to get you qualified for the post season in the NHL. Some teams have made it with only high 80’s point totals before. For that to happen to Buffalo would truly be a miscarriage of justice from the Hockey Gods.
3. B.B. Gun
Bowen Byram is on a heater right now offensively. He has 7 points in his last 7 games, including 2 assists against Vancouver two nights ago. Bo also scored 1 goal and 1 assist against Dallas on New Year’s Eve. For the current season, he has accumulated 22 points (9 goals and 13 assists) in 41 games. Byram has been smooth in transition and aggressive in the offensive zone. He seems more willing to join the attack and has been showing more and more confidence, which is great to see.
Elsewhere in the lineup, it looks like we will finally get to see Colten Ellis back in net. With Alex Lyon still out and UPL getting a break, our waiver wire pickup will get another chance to show his stuff. Ellis suffered a concussion on December 9th, 2025, after an inadvertent hit to the head from an Oilers player, leading to him being placed on injured reserve. It will be just short of one month since he was last between the pipes for Buffalo.
Projected Lineups
Buffalo Sabres
Forwards
Krebs – Thompson – Doan
Zucker – Norris – Tuch
Benson – McLeod – Quinn
Greenway – Ostlund – Malenstyn
Defense
Samuelsson – Dahlin
Power – Byram
Bryson – Metsa
Goalies: Ellis (projected starter), Luukkonen
New York Rangers
Forwards
Panarin – Zibanejad – Cuylle
Miller – Trocheck – Lafreniere
Perreault – Dowling – Raddysh
Blidh – Carrick– Rempe
Defense
Gavrikov – Schneider
Soucy – Borgen
Vaakanainen – Robertson
Goalies: Quick (projected starter), Martin