Sabres at Lightning Preview: Try, try, try, try again

The Sabres and Lightning meet tonight for the final time this season.

Game #15

Buffalo Sabres (6-8-0) vs.
Tampa Bay Lightning (7-7-2)

Puck Drop: 7:30 pm EST | Amalie Arena | Tampa, FL
TV: NBCSN | Radio: WGR 550
SB Nation Lightning Blog: Raw Charge

Two Questions

1. Can the Sabres defense continue to drive the offense?

In their victory over the Canucks, the Sabres got two of their three goals from Rasmus Ristolainen, while the third was set up because Mark Pysyk essentially shot the puck into the net off of Jamie McGinn's stick. Jake McCabe played a career high with over 23 minutes of ice time as well. If Buffalo can keep getting contributions like that from the back end, they'll be a much tougher team to deal with.

2. Will the Sabres score more than one goal?

In each of their previous three games against the Lightning, Buffalo has been held to just one goal. That's not a great recipe for success, and the Sabres will need to find a way to take it to the Eastern Conference Champs if they want to walk out of this season series with a single win.

Projected BUF lines

Moulson - O'Reilly - Gionta
McGinn - Eichel - Ennis
Larsson - Girgensons - Reinhart
Deslauriers - Schaller - Foligno

Gorges - Ristolainen
McCabe - Franson
Weber - Pysyk

Goal: Chad Johnson

Projected TBL lines

Drouin - Stamkos - Filppula
Killorn - Johnson - Kucherov
Paquette - Namestnikov - Callahan
Brown - Boyle - Condra

Hedman - Stralman
Carle - Garrison
Sustr - Coburn

Goal: Ben Bishop