NBCSN’s coverage of the 2020-21 NHL season continues with the Wednesday Night Hockey matchup between the Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers. Flyers-Sabres stream coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN. You can watch the game online and on the NBC Sports app by clicking here.
On Monday, the Flyers overcame a 3-0 third-period deficit to defeat the Sabres, 4-3, in overtime. Two days later these clubs will meet to close out a two-game series in the seventh of eight regular-season meetings this season.
Buffalo is now the 18th team in NHL history to go winless over 18-plus games and just the second club in the past 27 years to do so, joining the 2003-04 Penguins. More deflating for the Sabres is what’s transpired the last two games – blowing third- period leads in each. Buffalo’s .250 points percentage this season is on pace to be the worst in the NHL since the inaugural season for the Atlanta Thrashers in 1999-00 (.238).
A loss in this game would put the Sabres winless over their 16-game March schedule and join them with the 1976-77 Red Wings (15 losses, one tie in March 1977) as the only teams to complete an entire month playing at last 16 games without a win.
The Flyers’ Carter Hart has struggled to an 8-9-3 record this season (4.04 GAA) after a 24-13-3 mark a season ago (2.42 GAA). After Thursday’s loss to the Rangers (five goals allowed), his third straight start allowing four-plus goals, Hart has not seen the net and coach Alain Vigneault is not expecting to dress him on Wednesday for the second consecutive game. Vigneault made it clear these are not “rest” days for Hart, but rather work days.
[COVERAGE BEGINS AT 7 P.M. ET - NBCSN]
WHAT: Philadelphia Flyers at Buffalo Sabres WHERE: KeyBank Center WHEN: Wednesday, March 31, 7 p.m. ET TV: NBCSN (^Blacked out in local market: Philadelphia) ON THE CALL: John Forslund, Pierre McGuire LIVE STREAM: You can watch the Flyers-Sabres stream on NBC Sports’ live stream page and the NBC Sports app.
PROJECTED LINEUPS
SABRES Taylor Hall - Casey Mittelstadt - Tage Thompson Victor Olofsson - Riley Sheahan - Sam Reinhart Jeff Skinner - Curtis Lazar - Kyle Okposo Tobias Rieder - Cody Eakin - Steven Fogarty
Brandon Montour - Colin Miller Rasmus Dahlin - Henri Jokiharju Matt Irwin - Rasmus Ristolainen
Starting goalie: Linus Ullmark
FLYERS James van Riemsdyk - Sean Couturier - Travis Konecny Claude Giroux - Kevin Hayes - Joel Farabee Oskar Lindblom - Nolan Patrick - Jakub Voracek Michael Raffl - Scott Laughton - Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Ivan Provorov - Justin Braun Travis Sanheim - Philippe Myers Shayne Gostisbehere - Samuel Morin
Starting goalie: Brian Elliott