BOTTOM LINE: The Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres take the ice in Eastern Conference action. Pittsburgh has a 5-3-2 record at home and a 10-6-5 record overall. The Penguins have a +nine scoring differential, with 64 total goals scored and 55 given up.

The Buffalo Sabres are 1-5-2 on the road this season, but that win came in their last outing in Detroit, as they erased a 4-1 deficit to beat the Red Wings in overtime. Paul Hamilton has Wednesday nig

Don’t look now, but the perennially moribund Buffalo Sabres are starting to show signs of life. After having only won five of their first 17 games, the Sabres have taken four of their last five and climbed out of the Atlantic Division’s basement (with special thanks to the swooning Toronto Maple Leafs).

In eighth place in the Atlantic Division, the Sabres are on a five-game winless streak and coming off a 6-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena on Thursday. Buffalo has struggled away from KeyBank Center so far, going 0-5-2 as a visitor.

The Montreal Canadiens have contacted a struggling Atlantic Division rival about the availability of their superstar center.

Frustrations are starting to show after the Buffalo Sabres failed to get the start they wanted when they fell 6-2 to the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night.

Josh Norris (upper), Justin Danforth (lower), Michael Kesselring (lower), Zach Benson (face/lower), Jordan Greenway (middle), Jiri Kulich (blood clot), Jason Zucker (illness), Tyson Kozak (lower), Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (lower) and Rasmus Dahlin (personal).