The Buffalo Sabres snapped a four game losing streak Saturday as they defeated the Islanders 4-3 in a shootout. That was their first win since they hosted the Ottawa Senators in a 5-4 win two weeks ago. The Senators have dropped three consecutive games, and I think we'll see a high scoring encounter when two struggling teams meet up in Ottawa.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. The Sabres D - Only two teams in the NHL have a worse goals against average than the Sabres this season. They've been particularly poor over recent games, giving up 22 goals over their last five, going 9-for-16 on the penalty kill.

2. Trends - None of the Senators last four at home have gone under the total and the over is 8-0 in Sabres last eight overall.

3. X-Factor - Defenseman Erik Karlsson is leading the Senators with 23 points. Perhaps he should focus more on his defensive duties though, as the Swede is a team-worst minus-13.

Selection: This is a play on BUF@OTT to go over the total (8*)