GAME-DAY RESOURCES
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LAST GAME
Friday, February 15
Boston 2 at Buffalo 4
Goals: Stafford, Myers, Ehrhoff, Hodgson
Goalie: Miller (30 saves/32 shots)
PP: 0/3; PK: 1/2; Shots: Boston 32 – Buffalo 26
CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 40)
Ville Leino (lower body, Jan. 20; injured reserve) – 15 games
TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYS
2/11 Loaned LW Matt Ellis to Rochester (AHL)
UPCOMING GAMES
Tuesday, Feb. 19 Winnipeg at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 21 Buffalo at Toronto, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 23 NY Islanders at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 26 Buffalo at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 28 Buffalo at Florida, 7:30 p.m.
TODAY’S GAME
PENGUINS at SABRES
-This is the first of three meetings between the Sabres and Penguins this season.
-Last meeting: Pittsburgh defeated Buffalo, 5-3, in Buffalo on March 30, 2012.
-These teams next meet on Tuesday, April 2 in Pittsburgh.
-The Sabres are 2-8-0 in their last 10 games vs. the Penguins; 3-4-3 at home.
-This is the 171st game all-time between Buffalo and Pittsburgh; Buffalo trails the series with a 62-67-41 record. Buffalo is 40-23-22 at home against the Penguins all-time.
THIS DAY IN SABRES HISTORY
- The Sabres are 7-8-5 all-time on Feb. 17. Their last game on this date was a 4-3 shootout loss vs. MTL on Feb. 17, 2012. Tyler Myers, playing in his 200th NHL game, recorded his 100th career point with a first-period goal.
- Feb. 17, 1982: Gilbert Perreault scored his 383rd career goal (a game-winner) to lift the Sabres a 3-2 victory at CHI. While he would go on to score 512 goals with the Sabres, Perreault only needed the first 383 to set the franchise record; Rick Martin ranks second in franchise history with 382 goals with the team.
STORYLINES
- The Sabres will attempt to win consecutive home games for the first time this season after finishing 2011-12 with an 8-2-0 record in their last 10 home games.
- Ryan Miller will look to rebound from allowing 11 goals in three games last season against the Penguins. Miller has stopped 136 of 144 shots (.944 SV%) in the Sabres’ last four games.
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
- Buffalo’s 4-2 win on Friday vs. BOS was the team’s first win without getting a point from Thomas Vanek or Jason Pominville since March 23, 2012 at NYR (4-1 win).
- The Sabres are in the midst of an eight-game stretch without any back-to-back games; it is the longest such stretch of the season.
- Dating back to last season, Thomas Vanek has 34 points (13+21) in his last 24 games.
- Jason Pominville has been held without a point in three consecutive home games for the first time since Nov. 20 to Nov. 26, 2010.
HOW THEY STACK UP (Sabres ranked in the top 10 in the NHL before 2/16 games)
Thomas Vanek: 23 points (1st), 11 goals (T-1st), 12 assists (T-7th), 4 power play goals (T-4th), 52 shots (9th)
Steve Ott: 59 hits (1st)
Marcus Foligno: 7 assists (T-1st, rookies), 8 points (T-3rd, rookies), 19 PIM (T-2nd, rookies)
RISING IN THE RECORD BOOKS
With a goal Feb. 5 at OTT, Jason Pominville passed Alexander Mogilny (444) for 12th-most points in Sabres history. Pominville’s assist on Buffalo’s first goal Feb. 3 vs. FLA tied Mike Foligno (264) for 10th-most assists in Sabres history and his next assist will give him sole possession of 10th place in franchise history.
DYNAMIC DUOS
Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville have each recorded a point on the same goal 10 times this season, tying for third-most by an NHL duo this season entering play Thursday. They were the seventh-most prolific pair last season, combining on 39 goals. Vanek and Cody Hodgson have also combined on 10 goals.
LINDY’S LONGEVITY
Since Lindy Ruff was named Buffalo’s head coach on July 21, 1997, there have been 170 coaching changes in the NHL. Ruff is the second-longest tenured coach in the four major professional sports leagues. Only Gregg Popovich, who began coaching the San Antonio Spurs in 1996, has been head coach of his team longer. Ruff has 571 wins as head coach of the Sabres, second-most by a head coach with a single franchise, trailing only Al Arbour (740). Ruff has more wins than any other coach with his first NHL team.
BUF-PIT CONNECTIONS
BUF D Mike Weber was born in Pittsburgh.
BUF D Jordan Leopold spent part of the 2009-10 season with the Penguins.
BUF AC Kevyn Adams and PIT RW Craig Adams played together for five seasons (2001-2007) on the Carolina Hurricanes, including the Hurricanes’ 2005-06 Stanley Cup win.
Adams and Adams would reunite again in 2007-08, when they both played for the Chicago Blackhawks.
BUF HC Lindy Ruff and PIT C Sidney Crosby both represented Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver—Ruff served as an assistant coach.
BUF C Cody Hodgson, BUF D Tyler Myers, BUF C Tyler Ennis and PIT LW Zach Boychuk were all drafted in the first round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Hodgson, selected by Vancouver, was the 10th overall pick, Myers, selected by Buffalo, was the 12th overall pick, Boychuk, selected by Carolina, was the 14th overall pick and Ennis, selected by Buffalo, was the 26th overall pick.
Engelland also shares a birthday with BUF D TJ Brennan. Engelland, born on April 3, 1982, is seven years older than Brennan, who was born on April 3, 1989.
BUF LW John Scott, PIT D Brooks Orpik and PIT LW Chris Kunitz were all born on Sept. 26. Scott, born in 1982, is the youngest while Orpik, born in 1980, and Kunitz, born in 1979, are a year apart.
BUF C Steve Ott and DAL D Matt Niskanen played together for four seasons (2007-08 –2010-11) on the Dallas Stars. PIT LW James Neal also played in Dallas for three of those seasons (2008-09 – 2010-11).
Ott and Orpik were both first-round draft selections in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. Orpik, selected by Pittsburgh, was the 18th overall pick and Ott, chosen by Dallas, was the 25th overall selection.
Orpik and BUF G Ryan Miller both played for Team USA at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
BUF LW Thomas Vanek and PIT G Marc-Andre Fleury were both first-round draft selections in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Fleury was the first overall pick, while Vanek was selected fifth overall.
BUF D Christian Ehrhoff and PIT LW Tanner Glass played together for two seasons (2009-10, 2010-11) on the Vancouver Canucks. BUF C Cody Hodgson also played with the Canucks for part of the 2010-11 season.
BUF D TJ Brennan and PIT LW Eric Tangradi were both second-round draft selections in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. Brennan, picked by Buffalo, was the 31st overall selection while Tangradi, chosen by Anaheim, was the 42nd overall pick.
BUF D Alexander Sulzer and PIT G Tomas Vokoun were teammates for one season on the 2010-11 Florida Panthers.
BUF RW Drew Stafford and PIT C Evgeni Malkin were both first-round selections in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. Malkin was the second overall pick and Stafford was picked 13th overall.
BUF LW Thomas Vanek and PIT D Paul Martin played together at the University of Minnesota in 2002-03, when the Golden Gophers defeated the Wildcats of New Hampshire, 5-1, in the national championship game to capture the program’s fifth title. Vanek was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player and the game was played at his future home ice, HSBC Arena in Buffalo.
BUF C Tyler Ennis, BUF RW John Scott, and PIT D Deryk Engelland were all born in Edmonton.
SABRES’ RECORD IN 10 GAME SEGMENTS [W-L-OTL (PTS), GF/GA, PP, PK]
1-10: 3-6-1 (7), 30/37, 6/36, 32/40
11-20: 3-2-0 (6), 13/13, 1/19, 19/22
OVERTIME RESULTS (0-1; 93-92 all-time)
January 29 vs. Toronto L, 4-3 (GWG-Frattin, 4:58)
SHOOTOUT RESULTS (1-0; 44-37 all-time)
February 7 vs. Montreal W, 5-4 (GDG-Pominville)
MILESTONES APPROACHING (Player … Needs … Milestone)
Games Played
Assists
Jason Pominville … 1 assist … 265 career assists (sole possession, 10th in franchise history)
Points
Jordan Leopold … 2 points … 200 career points
Ville Leino … 2 points … 100 career points
RECENT MILESTONES
Alexander Sulzer … 100 career games played … 2/9 at NYI
Jochen Hecht … 800 career games played … 2/12 at OTT
Jordan Leopold … 600 career games played … 2/12 at OTT
