All trade-deadline options can and must be explored for the Sabres, just not with a we-have-to-do-something posture. Several previous trades have backfired on a franchise about to miss the playoffs for a 14th season in a row.

BOTTOM LINE: The Buffalo Sabres are looking to stop their four-game slide with a victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tampa Bay is 36-21-4 overall and 7-10-0 against the Atlantic Division. The Lightning are second in the league with 217 total goals (averaging 3.6 per game).

Tuch or Zucker have been key contributors to the Sabres this season, including in Saturday's win. Zucker’s trio of assists gives him six in the last three games, and his 44 points (18+26) rank third on the team. Tuch sits just behind him with 43 points (19+24), including eight in the last five games.

The Buffalo Sabres could be involved in something more than a rental deal before the NHL trade deadline this Friday. GM Kevyn Adams has indicated that he has interest in signing pending unrestricted free agent wingers Jason Zucker and Jordan Greenway to contract extensions and has interest in making hockey deals that would bring back players currently in or ready to play in the NHL and one of the names apparently on a contender’s wish list is winger Alex Tuch.

Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson scored goals for the Sabres to ignite the comeback. Buffalo finished with a 36-20 lead in shots but went 0-for-4 on the power play. Montreal went 2-for-5 with the extra man, with four of its opportunities coming during the first period.

NHL Rumors: Vancouver Canucks, Minnesota Wild, Columbus Blue Jackets, and the St. Louis Blues Pierre LeBrun: The Buffalo Sabres and Jordan Greenway have held preliminary contract extension talks.

Mike Matheson scored at 1:21 of overtime to lift the surging Montreal Canadiens to a 4-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night.

The Montreal Canadiens extended their winning streak to a season-high four games with a 4-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night.