Sabres at Penguins | How to watch, lineup notes, and storylines

With a successful four-game homestand in their rearview mirror, the Buffalo Sabres will look to carry their strong play into a road-heavy stretch of the schedule beginning with a visit to play the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Wednesday.

The Sabres play 13 of their next 18 games on the road. They’re 1-5-2 away from KeyBank Center this season (as opposed to 8-4-2 at home) but won their most recent road game in Detroit on Nov. 15.

In all of their road losses, the Sabres were tied or within one goal during the third period.

“We know that we need to pick up road wins, obviously,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “We’ve got to be a better road team. We’re right there in a lot of road games, but we haven’t finished the deal.”

Buffalo enters Pittsburgh with momentum, having won four of its last five games to pull its season points percentage back to .500 at 9-9-4. The roster has gotten healthier, too, with Zach Benson and Jason Zucker both having made quick impacts since returning to the lineup.

Though early in the season, tonight’s game presents an opportunity: Buffalo trails Pittsburgh by three points in the standings as both teams jockey for position in the crowded Eastern Conference wild card picture.

The puck drops at 7 p.m. Here’s what you need to know in the meantime.

How to watch

TV (Buffalo broadcast market): MSG (Pregame coverage begins at 6:30 p.m.)

Streaming: Gotham Sports App, ESPN+ (out of market)

Radio: WGR 550 / Buffalo Sabres App

More ways to watch/listen to Sabres games

Lineup notes

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had his own net at practice on Tuesday, meaning he will likely start in goal for the third straight game. He’s stopped 49 of 53 shots in the past two wins, a save percentage of .926.

Luukkonen had not played consecutive games all season prior to this current stretch. He missed the start of the year with an injury and then made occasional starts as Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis each took the net for stretches.

"I would say he's looked good in the two starts, and he's won two games," Ruff said. “I think it’s going to take him a few more – he’s getting comfortable with playing again – but I’ve liked his game.

"I think he's been able to pick up some stuff through traffic, and that's probably the hardest part, with the amount of people that get in front of your goaltender nowadays. He looks refreshed back there, so you just put that all together and hope he can just build confidence off of that."

Josh Norris (upper body) was a full participant in practice on Tuesday, but he won’t play tonight. Ruff said it’s possible Norris plays this weekend.

Thompson’s streak

Tage Thompson scored an empty-net goal on Sunday to extend his goal-scoring streak to six games – tied for the longest in the NHL this season and the longest by a Sabres player since Jason Pominville in 2006.

Thompson has a chance to further climb the franchise record books with a goal tonight. Only seven Sabres have had goal streaks of seven games or more: Mike Foligno, Rick Martin, Alexander Mogilny, Gilbert Perreault, Rene Robert, Miroslav Satan and Rick Vaive.

The franchise record is eight games, shared by Foligno, Mogilny and Satan.

Scouting the Penguins

Pittsburgh has cooled off since starting the season 8-2-2, having dropped five of its past six games entering Wednesday.

Still, the Penguins sit one point out of a playoff spot and boast the league’s most successful power play, driven by the usual suspects in Sidney Crosby (six power-play goals) and Evgeni Malkin (10 power-play points). That unit will be put to the test tonight against the Sabres’ top-ranked penalty kill.

“I think both Malkin and Crosby have gotten off too a great start this year, played very well,” Ruff said. “They’re world-elite players and they know what it takes, and I think when the game’s on the line, they both elevate their play.”

The Sabres are 3-1-1 in their last five games against the Penguins and have earned a point in each of their last two visits to Pittsburgh (1-0-1).