Nashville Predators vs Buffalo Sabres
5:00 PM ET, March 20, 2011
HSBC Arena, BUFFALO, New York
The Buffalo Sabres and Nashville Predators are both holding the final playoff position in their respective conferences.
One of them could lose that status Sunday night, and recent struggles on the road could mean the Predators are in jeopardy.
Buffalo (35-28-8) is eighth in the Eastern Conference, two points back of the seventh-place New York Rangers and two ahead of Carolina in ninth.
The Predators (37-25-10) are in similar position in the tightly packed West, tied with Chicago for seventh and one point ahead of Calgary and Anaheim, tied for ninth place.
Playing seven of its remaining 10 regular season games at home should be a benefit to Nashville, which has won four of five as host after an impressive 3-1 victory over Central Division-leading Detroit on Saturday.
Beginning that season-ending stretch with a visit to Buffalo may not be ideal for the Predators, who have dropped eight of 10 on the road while scoring three or fewer goals in each of the defeats.
At least Nashville is getting production from some unlikely sources. Blake Geoffrion and Jonathon Blum each scored Saturday, giving the rookies three goals apiece since being recalled from the minors last month.
One of them could lose that status Sunday night, and recent struggles on the road could mean the Predators are in jeopardy.
Buffalo (35-28-8) is eighth in the Eastern Conference, two points back of the seventh-place New York Rangers and two ahead of Carolina in ninth.
The Predators (37-25-10) are in similar position in the tightly packed West, tied with Chicago for seventh and one point ahead of Calgary and Anaheim, tied for ninth place.
Playing seven of its remaining 10 regular season games at home should be a benefit to Nashville, which has won four of five as host after an impressive 3-1 victory over Central Division-leading Detroit on Saturday.
Beginning that season-ending stretch with a visit to Buffalo may not be ideal for the Predators, who have dropped eight of 10 on the road while scoring three or fewer goals in each of the defeats.
At least Nashville is getting production from some unlikely sources. Blake Geoffrion and Jonathon Blum each scored Saturday, giving the rookies three goals apiece since being recalled from the minors last month.
Watch Nashville Predators vs Buffalo Sabres Live Online Stream Free March 20, 2011
