Sabres looking to clinch first playoff berth in 15 years against Senators

Ottawa, Ontario (WGR Sports Radio 550) - This is the game many Buffalo Sabres players, personnel and fans have been waiting for.

The team is in Ottawa on Thursday, attempting to clinch their first playoff berth since 2011 with a win of any kind over the Senators.

The Sabres can also get in if they get a loser point and wins from both the Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes. The Flyers take on the Detroit Red Wings, while the Hurricanes will face the Columbus Blue Jackets.

All captain Rasmus Dahlin has known since he was drafted first overall by the Sabres in the 2018 NHL Draft is losing, and bad losing. He has expressed frustration with that over the years, but now that a clinching game has arrived, he doesn't want the approach to change.

"We've got to treat it like any other game,” said Dahlin following Thursday’s morning skate. “It's a division game, so we have to play a playoff-type hockey game, but we can't overthink it. It's just another game."

Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff says he had no recollection of the last playoff clinching game in 2011 against the Philadelphia Flyers, but thinks the players will have clinching Thursday night in the back of their minds.

"It's part of the game that we've worked hard to get to,” said Ruff on Thursday. “You focus on winning the game, and we know what winning the game means to us."

The Sabres lead the Atlantic Division with a points percentage .667. The Tampa Bay Lightning are currently at .662, and host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday.

As far as the Eastern Conference goes, the Carolina Hurricanes are the only team ahead of the Sabres at .676 in the standings.

Let’s not forget about the Montreal Canadiens, who have won six-straight games and have a points percentage of .649. If the Sabres don't win the division, there's a very good chance they'd open the playoffs against Montreal.

The Habs visit the New York Rangers on Thursday night.

The Sabres have 100 points for the first time since 2010. This season against Ottawa, Buffalo has won 8-4 and 3-2.

Alex Lyon won both of those games, but for the first time since Jan. 6, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is getting his third-consecutive start for Buffalo.

Luukkonen is 19-8-3 this season and has a goals-against average of 2.58 and a .910 save percentage.

Sabres center Sam Carrick is week-to-week, according to Ruff, but he didn't rule him out to return, at some point, this season.

With the type of hockey the Senators play, Ruff is putting Josh Dunne in the lineup between Beck Malenstyn and Jordan Greenway. Dunne hasn't played since March 5, but says he's kept himself ready.

In 31 games this season, Dunne has one goal and three assists for four points.

That is the only lineup change.

Ottawa has lost three-straight games after winning four in-a-row.

Columbus holds the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference with a points percentage of .587. The Senators are next at .581, as are the Red Wings.

Linus Ullmark gets the start in net for Ottawa against his former team. He's 23-11-8 this season with a 2.85 goals-against average and an .886 save percentage.

Tim Stutzle is the Senators’ leading scorer with 32 goals and 44 assists for 76 points in 74 games.

Former Sabres center Dylan Cozens has 25 goals and 27 assists for 52 points in 74 games this season.

Join Chris “Bulldog” Parker and myself for pregame coverage on WGR starting at 6 p.m., when we'll hear from Ruff, Dahlin and Dunne.