A major winter storm projected to affect much of the eastern United States this week prompted the NHL on Wednesday to postpone the Buffalo Sabres' home game against the Tampa Bay Lightning two days before it was scheduled to be played.

The decision was made in part because it backed into the league's Christmas break, which begins on Saturday. The strength of the storm had the potential of cutting into Tampa Bay players' mandated days off had the team been stranded in Buffalo on Friday, when the brunt of the storm is expected to hit the region.

Tampa Bay will now travel home after playing at Detroit on Wednesday night.

The Lightning's game against the Sabres has been rescheduled to March 4. The Sabres were originally scheduled to play the Philadelphia Flyers that day. The NHL has instead moved the Flyers game at Buffalo to Jan. 9.

Much of the eastern two-thirds of the country was bracing for a dangerous mix of subzero temperatures, high winds and blizzard conditions into the holiday weekend. Some parts of the U.S. could see wind chills approaching 70 degrees below zero.

By Friday, the arctic front was expected to spread sharp cold as far south as Florida.