McLeod will return to the lineup for the Sabres on Saturday, just in time to make his return to Rogers Place and play his former team, the Edmonton Oilers, for the first time. McLeod has missed the past three games with what he described as a “nagging” upper-body injury.

They’ve done so in recent weeks, primarily to condition the five-man defensive unit to handle late-game pressure. But these recent third-period outcomes have emphasized the need for offensive work at 6-on-5, as well. After practice, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff identified the areas needing improvement.

Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka both had hat tricks in the win. Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka turned in one of the most productive performances by a set of teammates in Buffalo Sabres history, both scoring hat tricks to fuel a 7-2 win over the Boston Bruins at KeyBank Center on Tuesday.

Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka each recorded a hat trick and an assist to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 7-2 win over the visiting Boston Bruins on Tuesday night.

The club is last in the Eastern Conference with an 18-26-5 record and, barring an unprecedented run, the playoff drought that’s chased off season-ticket holders will reach 14 years.

Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka had hat tricks, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 26 saves as Buffalo rolled to a 7-2 win over Boston.

Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka each record a hat-trick on Tuesday night to help power the Buffalo Sabres to a 7-2 victory over the Boston Bruins at KeyBank Center. A complete game recap from WGR:

Juraj Slafkovsky has been consistent with 10 points in his last 18 games, and fantasy hockey analyst Evan Berofsky is expecting more output from him soon.

It’s been a rough season for the Buffalo Sabres, who rank 30th in the NHL standings. While we knew they had a high ceiling and a low floor, few expected the floor to be this low.

McLeod (upper body) will be in the lineup versus Edmonton on Saturday, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports. McLeod will make his return to the ice following a three-game stint on the shelf ...

In 45 games this season, McLeod has 10 goals and 14 assists for 24 points. Now in his fifth NHL season, the Mississauga, Ont., native has 42 goals and 57 assists for 99 points in 264 career games ...

Rasmus Dahlin has recorded 15 assists in his last 15 games. Dahlin is two assists away from tying Mike Ramsey for the second-most assists (256) by a Sabres defenseman alltime. Dahlin is one goal away from tying Ramsey for the second-most goals by a defenseman in franchise history (73).