The Sabres return home after a 4-game road trip.
By Jourdon LaBarber
@jourdonlabarber Sabres.com
The Buffalo Sabres return home following a four-game road trip to host the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, the first matchup between the two Atlantic Division rivals since they paired up for a trade ahead of the March 7 deadline.
Buffalo acquired forward Josh Norris and defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker from Ottawa in exchange for forward Dylan Cozens, defenseman Dennis Gilbert, and a second-round draft pick in 2026, representing a shake-up for both clubs.
Norris had a goal and an assist in his first three games with the Sabres but has missed the five contests with an undisclosed injury. Bernard-Docker needed to await visa clearance before making his team debut in Minnesota on Saturday, then had a pair of assists to help the Sabres to victory in Winnipeg on Sunday.
Cozens, who makes his return to Buffalo after spending parts of five seasons with the franchise to begin his career, has seven points (3+4) in eight games since joining the Senators.
The puck drops at 7 p.m. Here’s what you need to know.
How to watch
TV (Buffalo broadcast market): MSG (Pregame coverage begins at 6:30 p.m.)
Streaming (out of market): ESPN+
Radio: WGR 550
Click here for more ways to watch Sabres games.
Lineup notes (updated 6:35 p.m.)
Jiri Kulich is back in the lineup after missing four games with a concussion.
Sam Lafferty (groin) and Jordan Greenway (lower body) are both out and considered day to day.
James Reimer is starting in goal for the third time in four games.
Here are the lines from warmups:
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Storylines
1. Revisiting Sunday’s win
The Sabres finished off their four-game road trip with a 2-2 record after beating the Western Conference’s top team in the Jets, who entered the afternoon on an eight-game point streak at home.
Two Manitoba natives, rookie Tyson Kozak and veteran goaltender James Reimer, played pivotal roles in the win. Kozak scored a power-play goal during the third period while Reimer made a highlight reel’s worth of big-time saves throughout the game.
Read more in Sunday’s Postgame Report.
2. Peterka’s scoring streak
JJ Peterka has scored goals in three straight games since returning from a lower-body injury, including the opening goal in Sunday’s game. The winger received the puck in the offensive-zone corner, burst into the slot and rifled a shot past goaltender Eric Comrie.
JJ Peterka gives the Sabres a 1-0 lead
Peterka already has set career highs in assists (32) and points (54) through 64 games this season. His 22 goals rank third on the team behind Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch.
3. Scouting the Senators
Ottawa is 7-2-1 in its past 10 games and occupies the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, five points ahead of the closest non-playoff teams.
Tim Stutzle leads the Senators with 70 points (20+50) while captain Brady Tkachuk has a team-high 28 goals.
The Sabres are 2-0 against the Senators this season, having won 5-1 at home on Nov. 5 and 4-0 in Ottawa on Jan. 9. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 72 of 73 shots in the two meetings (.986), including a 35-save shutout in the latter contest.
Game notes
- Ryan McLeod has 11 points (3+8) in the last nine games after tallying an empty-net goal and three assists against the Jets on Sunday.
- McLeod leads all players in the season series against Ottawa with five points (1+4).
- Rasmus Dahlin has seven assists in his last seven games against Ottawa.
