PENGUINS TRAVEL TO BUFFALO

DATE: FRIDAY MARCH 1^ST

TIME: 7:00

PLACE: KEYBANK CENTER

WHERE: BUFFALO

The Buffalo Sabres have dropped six of their last seven outings (1-5-1) to see their once-promising postseason aspirations grow dimmer by the day. The Sabres look to get back on track and defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second time this season when the clubs meet on Friday at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.

"I think it's just disappointing because it's a game of mistakes, and right now we are making more mistakes than any team," Buffalo coach Phil Housley said on the heels of Tuesday's 3-2 setback to Philadelphia. Captain Jack Eichel scored versus the Flyers to boost his point streak to six games (four goals, four assists) heading into the tilt with Pittsburgh, against which he tallied 45 seconds into overtime in a 5-4 win on Nov. 19. The contest marked the Sabres' second victory in the last 11 encounters with the Penguins, who began their three-game road trip with a 5-2 triumph over Columbus on Tuesday. Superstar captain Sidney Crosby collected a goal and an assist in his second consecutive contests to lift his point total to 16 (four goals, 12 assists) in his last nine contests.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Pittsburgh, Sportsnet, MSG-B (Buffalo) 

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (33-22-8): Chad Ruhwedel sustained an arm/shoulder injury versus the Blue Jackets to join fellow defensemen Kris Letang (upper body), Brian Dumoulin (concussion) and Olli Maatta (upper body) as well as forward Bryan Rust (lower body) on the sideline. "We just have to have a next-man-up mentality," Coach Mike Sullivan said. "That's how we've always approached it. We believe we have depth in our organization. We have capable people." Pittsburgh is hoping Zach Trotman and Erik Gudbranson are two of those "capable people," with the first blue-liner in line to play in his second NHL contest this season while the latter will make his debut with the club after being acquired from Vancouver prior to the NHL trade deadline on Monday. 

ABOUT THE SABRES (29-26-8): Jeff Skinner, who set up defenseman Zach Bogosian's second-period goal against the Penguins, has an assist in three straight games and four of his last five. Although Carter Hutton turned aside 36 shots to defeat Pittsburgh in the first meeting, the goaltender's availability for the rematch is in question after he tweaked an existing lower-body injury during Thursday's practice. The 33-year-old left the session as a precaution and will be evaluated prior to Friday's contest, per Housley.

OVERTIME

1. Pittsburgh C Evgeni Malkin has 27 points (nine goals, 18 assists) in his last 21 games.

2. Sabres C Casey Mittlestadt, who scored in the first meeting with the Penguins, snapped a four-game goal drought on Tuesday.

3. Pittsburgh C Jake Guentzel, who scored in the first encounter with Buffalo, netted just five of his team-leading 29 goals in February.

PREDICTION: Sabres 5, Penguins 4