When the Winnipeg Jets won in Buffalo last month, they snapped the Sabres' three-game winning streak and curbed any offensive confidence the Eastern Conference foe might have been building.

It turns out that run was the beginning of what's been a larger turnaround for the Sabres, who head to Winnipeg tonight with hopes of posting their longest winning streak in three seasons.

Viewers in the Jets region can watch the game live on TSN3 at 6pm ct.

Buffalo (13-16-2) defeated Ottawa 5-4 in a shootout on Monday to conclude a 4-0-0 homestand, setting it up for its first five-game winning streak since March 19-27, 2012.

"This group of guys, they're starting to believe in themselves," Sabres coach Ted Nolan said.

It's Buffalo's third winning streak of at least three games in the last month, and it amounts to a 10-3-0 record dating to Nov. 15. Only Chicago has more wins in that time. Offensively, the Sabres have averaged 2.62 goals per game during that run after scoring 19 goals in their first 17 games.

Matt Moulson and Marcus Foligno both scored Monday and have three goals in three games. Tyler Ennis had an assist to give him six points on a four-game streak.

The latest win did include blowing a 3-1 second-period lead, but the focus after was understandably positive after escaping with two points.

"You turn the corner and you just hope you keep taking off," said Foligno, whose three-game goal streak comes after managing two in his first 22 games. "It's been a while since the feeling has been like this in this room."

Road games, however, remain a struggle for the Sabres, who are 4-9-0 with just 19 away goals.

So have been games against the Jets. Buffalo is 1-7-1 with 11 goals scored in the series since Jan. 7, 2012. It's been especially bad in Winnipeg, where the Sabres are 0-4-0 with three goals scored since the Jets relocated.

That bodes (15-10-6) well for the Jets, who are looking to recover from Saturday's 4-1 loss to Anaheim to open a four-game homestand. Winnipeg, though, has dropped three of four.

Bryan Little scored against the Ducks and also tallied against the Sabres last month as part of a 10-game stretch with seven goals and three assists. He wants to see improvement against top teams, and classifying the Sabres as such at the moment might be a safe move.

"Everything we do when we're playing good, we have to do even better when we're playing against a top team," Little told the team's official website. "I don't know if we change our game, if we try to do too much or too little, but that's something we need to figure out. If we're going to have a shot at this thing, we need to figure out how to beat the top teams in the league."

Coach Paul Maurice has been alternating between Ondrej Pavelec and Michael Hutchinson in net, so Pavelec figures to face the Sabres.

He hasn't lost in regulation since Nov. 23 and has a 2.44 GAA over the 2-0-2 stretch. Against Buffalo, he's got a 1.38 GAA during a 7-1-0 run.

For the Sabres, Jhonas Enroth has been in goal for the entire winning streak and is 9-2-0 with a 2.20 GAA in his last 11 appearances. One of those losses was to the Jets, which dropped him to 0-3-1 in the series, despite a 2.02 GAA.

Should Buffalo switch things up, Michal Neuvirth was 6-2-1 with a 2.74 GAA against the Jets in his time with Washington. Neuvirth has played once since Nov. 18 - a 3-2 loss in Florida on Dec. 6.

The Jets figure to have defenseman Grant Clitsome after a six-game absence due to an undisclosed ailment.

 

Projected Winnipeg Jets Lines:

Ladd – Little - Wheeler

Perreault - Scheifele - Frolik

Kane - Lowry - Halischuk

Thorburn – Slater - Peluso

 

Chiarot - Byfuglien

Stuart - Postma

Pardy - Clitsome

 

Pavelec

 

Game Notes:

WPG is 1-0-0 vs BUF this season, winning in BUF
WPG is 4-0-0 all-time at home vs BUF, 3GA (since franchise moved from ATL)

WPG (15-10-6):
0-1-1 past 2 games, 7GA
0-1-1 past 2 at home, 8GA, have not lost 3 straight at home this season
Perreault (1G, 3A) 4 game PT streak

BUF (13-16-2):
won 4 straight, all at home, each by 1G, 11/12 on PK
lost 2 straight on the road, 2GF, 0/5 on PP
leagues worst PP (7.1%)
Ennis (1G, 4A) 3 game PT streak