"The standings. They have 33. We have 31," he said. "That's what stands out the most."

Bylsma was quick with an answer and got right to the point.

SUNRISE, Fla. - "What stands out for you with this matchup here tonight?" Buffalo Sabres coach Dan Bylsma was asked after the morning skate on Tuesday at BB&T Center ahead of Buffalo's match against the Florida Panthers.

Video: PREVIEW: BUF at FLA (12/20/16)

There has been a lot of talk about the standings recently, and with good reason. The Sabres are trying to get back into the thick of the playoff chase and tonight's game against the Atlantic Division-rival Panthers is a big one if Buffalo is going to make up ground.

While two points back of the Panthers, they are also eight points behind the Ottawa Senators for second place in the division with two games in hand. With a regulation win tonight (and a Senators loss in Chicago), Buffalo can cut that deficit to six and jump ahead of Florida.

Video: BYLSMA: Pregame Interview

The Panthers are a slightly different squad since Buffalo last saw them on Oct. 29 when the Sabres won 3-0 on home ice. Florida has a new coach in Tom Rowe and they are 3-3-4 in his 10 games behind the bench.

Be sure to joins us for the TOPS Game Night pregame show starting at 7 p.m. on MSG. The game can also be heard live on WGR 550 with puck drop slated for 7:30 p.m. It's also Star Wars Night at the arena so you may see some colorful characters wandering around the concourse and sitting in the seats during the broadcast.

A homecoming of sorts

Dmitry Kulikov will play his second game against his former club, but his first back in Florida as a member of the opposing squad. He was the second-ranked defenseman in goals (28), assists (110) and points (138) in 460 games with the Panthers over seven seasons. The Sabres acquired him in a trade on Day 2 of the 2016 NHL Draft on June 25.

"Right now, it doesn't feel weird, but I'm sure when I step on for warmups, it'll be a little bit emotional seeing the fans I've played for so long in front of," he said after the morning skate.

Kulikov has no points through 16 games in a season that has so far been plagued by injuries, most notably a lower-back issue sustained in his first preseason game that took a lot of time to recover from.

"He's gotten back into the games for us now and since his first game, he's played a number of strong games for us," Bylsma said. "He's really made a difference with his skating and his ability to defend on the back end for us since coming back."

He played last game on a pair with Zach Bogosian, who had just returned from a knee injury, to solidify the team's top six defensive corps.



Projected Lineup

82 Marcus Foligno - 90 Ryan O'Reilly - 23 Sam Reinhart

26 Matt Moulson - 15 Jack Eichel - 21 Kyle Okposo

9 Evander Kane - 22 Johan Larsson - 12 Brian Gionta

28 Zemgus Girgensons - 27 Derek Grant - 48 William Carrier

29 Jake McCabe / 55 Rasmus Ristolainen

77 Dmitry Kulikov / 47 Zach Bogosian

4 Josh Gorges / 6 Cody Franson

40 Robin Lehner

31 Anders Nilsson

First Power-Play Unit

O'Reilly-Eichel-Reinhart-Okposo-Ristolainen

Second Power-Play Unit

Moulson-Gionta-Kane-Kulikov-Franson

Bylsma said that he will go with the same six defensemen as last game, but when it comes to his group of forwards, it'll be a gametime decision. Grant took the first rushes with the fourth line at the morning skate.

Lehner will start in net for Buffalo. He's won his last two starts.

The biggest change to the lines comes in Foligno's promotion to the top line. A strong third period in Carolina on Saturday - which culminated in a secondary assist on Kane's game-tying goal - saw Foligno forechecking with authority and being a presence both down low and in front of the net.

"The third period is how I always have to play," he said. "Some nights you're not going to have it, but if you keep things simple and work hard, things like that - you're playing with some skilled guys, especially O'Reilly and Sam, so let them do the creative work out there and just get to the front of the net, get my nose dirty and get some goals."



Nearly broken records

Two Panthers are nearing milestones of their own that the Sabres hope won't be reached tonight. Roberto Luongo, who will start in net for Florida, is just one win away from tying Terry Sawchuck (447) for fifth all-time in wins. At 37, Luongo has had great career numbers when playing the Sabres. He's 17-8-0 with a 1.96 goals-against average, a .934 save percentage and five shutouts in 28 career against Buffalo.

Meanwhile, Jaromir Jagr, is four points away from passing Mark Messier for sole possession of second on the all-time scoring list. Jagr, who turns 45 in February, currently has 1,884 career points and has passed all of the legends of the game except for Messier and Wayne Gretzky.

"I think the amazing part is that we've stopped talking about his age," Bylsma said. "It's like, two years ago, we were talking about, dare I say, how old he was. And now, I don't even talk about his age anymore. He just keeps going.

"…To see who he's passed and who he continues to pass and where he's at, it's pretty amazing. I thought some of those guys were untouchable - Gordie [Howe] for sure - and it's just amazing that he keeps climbing and keeps getting up there. Who knows how much longer he's going to play to get higher?"