Welcome back to NHL Predictions. We analyze matchups, dissect advanced stats, and pretend to have the foresight of a fortune teller. Tonight, we turn our attention to the Tampa Bay Lightning taking on the Buffalo Sabres—a matchup featuring one team fighting for playoff positioning and another fighting to stay relevant.

Once again, the Buffalo Sabres find themselves at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and near the bottom of the NHL as a whole. With a disappointing 24-30-6 record, totalling just 54 points, they enter yet another trade deadline facing major questions.

The broken record with the tired refrain that fans of the Buffalo Sabres are beyond tired of hearing isn’t coming to a close just yet. Barring a miracle of historic proportions, the Sabres are going to finish outside of the postseason for the 14th straight year,

It was another ugly night for the Sabres, who were taken to task by frustrated head coach Lindy Ruff after their loss to the Sharks.

The Sabres, who have now lost four games in a row, fell 6-2 to the last-place San Jose Sharks on Tuesday. Entering the game, the Sharks had just 11 regulation wins in 62 games played this season.

Already buried at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, the Sabres slid further into the abyss in losing to their last-place counterparts from the West. Buffalo’s hopeless stretch continued with a fourth consecutive loss,