Sabres, eager to improve at home, battle Coyotes

The Buffalo Sabres will try to translate "compete and battle" into more success on home ice when they host the Arizona Coyotes on Monday. The Sabres are only 5-7-1 in home games this season, ranking near the bottom of the league in home points. Three of those home defeats have come within a 1-4-1 overall stretch for Buffalo in its past six games, including Saturday's 3-2 shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Montreal scored twice within a 14-second span in the second period, forcing the Sabres to score twice in the third frame just to send the game beyond regulation.