By any measure, the New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres are two of the most pleasant surprises in the NHL this season. But only the Islanders will be accompanied by completely good feelings Saturday afternoon, when they host the Sabres in Uniondale, N.Y.

Both teams were off Friday after extending winning streaks on Thursday night. The Islanders ended their three-game southern road trip with a second straight win, a 3-1 victory over the Florida Panthers. The host Sabres won their third straight game by beating the Nashville Predators, 4-3.

The three-game winning streak is the longest for the Sabres since they had a pair of three-game runs during an 8-1-1 start, after which they went 5-10-5 over the next 20 games. The current run has been enough to vault Buffalo, whose eight-season postseason drought is the longest in the NHL, into sole possession of second place in the Atlantic Division.