GAME-DAY RESOURCES
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LAST GAME
Sunday, February 17
Pittsburgh 4 at Buffalo 3
Goals: Hodgson, Vanek, Ott
Goalie: Miller (31 saves/35 shots)
PP: 1/4; PK: 3/4; Shots: Pittsburgh 35 – Buffalo 33
CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 42)
Ville Leino (lower body, Jan. 20; injured reserve) – 16 games
Andrej Sekera (lower body, Feb. 17) – 1 game
TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYS
N/A
UPCOMING GAMES
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.
Saturday, March 2 New Jersey at Buffalo, 3 p.m.
TONIGHT’S GAME
JETS at SABRES
-This is the first of three meetings between the Sabres and Jets this season.
-Last meeting: Winnipeg defeated Buffalo, 3-1, in Winnipeg on March 5.
-These teams next meet on Tuesday, April 9 in Winnipeg.
-The Sabres are 5-3-2 in their last 10 games vs. the Jets; 6-1-3 at home.
-This is the 49th game all-time between Buffalo and Winnipeg; Buffalo has a 21-16-11 series record.
-The Sabres are 14-6-4 all-time record at home against Winnipeg.
THIS DAY IN SABRES HISTORY
- The Sabres are 11-7-2 all-time on Feb. 19. Their last game on this date was a 6-2 win vs. PIT on Feb. 19, 2012. Christian Ehrhoff recorded three assists, tying his career high for points in a game.
- Feb. 19, 1984: Bill Hajt scored the 4,000th goal in franchise history.
- Feb. 19, 1991: Christian Ruuttu scored the 6,000th goal in franchise history.
STORYLINES
- The Sabres will look to avoid losing consecutive home games in regulation for the first time since Feb. 11 and Feb. 14, 2012.
- Buffalo is 4-0-1 in their last five home games against the Winnipeg Jets franchise. They haven’t lost a home game in regulation to the Jets/Thrashers since Oct. 17, 2009 (4-2 loss).
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
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… Thomas Vanek leads all Sabres with 24 points (16+8) in 27 career games against the Jets… Dating back to last season, Vanek has 36 points (14+22) in his last 25 games… Jason Pominville has been held without a point in four consecutive home games for the first time since Jan. 8 to Jan. 29, 2010.
HOW THEY STACK UP (Sabres ranked in the top 10 in the NHL before 2/18 games)
Thomas Vanek: 25 points (1st), 12 goals (1st), 13 assists (T-6th), 5 power play goals (T-2nd)
Steve Ott: 64 hits (1st)
Marcus Foligno: 7 assists (T-2nd, rookies), 8 points (T-5th, rookies), 19 PIM (T-3rd, rookies)
EXPANDED ROLE FOR ENNIS
Sabres forward Tyler Ennis has averaged 19:00 of ice time per game this season, trailing only Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville among all Sabres forwards. His average even-strength ice time of 15:21 leads all Sabres forwards. With a TOI of 21:04 on Sunday vs. PIT, Ennis set his personal high for most minutes played in a game decided in regulation time.
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. He trails Derek Roy by two assists for ninth.
DYNAMIC DUOS
Thomas Vanek and Cody Hodgson have each recorded a point on the same goal 11 times this season, fourth-most by an NHL duo this season entering play Monday. Vanek and Jason Pominville have combined on 10 goals, tying for fifth-most. They were the seventh-most prolific pair last season, combining on 39 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-WPG CONNECTIONS
The Sabres took WPG RW Chris Thorburn in the second round (50th overall) of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. He played two career games with the Sabres, totaling one assist and seven penalty minutes.
BUF D Robyn Regehr and WPG C Nik Antropov were both drafted in the first round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. Antropov was taken 3rd overall and Regehr was taken 19th overall.
WPG C Olli Jokinen was a member of the Calgary Flames from 2009-2012. He played with BUF D Robyn Regehr and BUF D Adam Pardy from 2009-2011 during his stint with Calgary.
BUF C Cody Hodgson, BUF C Tyler Ennis, BUF D Tyler Myers and WPG LW Evander Kane all played together for the 2009 Canadian World Junior team. The team won the gold medal and Hodgson was the leading scorer in the tournament with 16 points (5+11).
WPG LW Andrew Ladd, WPG RW Blake Wheeler and BUF RW Drew Stafford were all taken in the first round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. Ladd was taken 4th overall by Carolina, Wheeler was taken 5th overall by Phoenix and Stafford was taken 13th overall by Buffalo.
BUF D Mike Weber and WPG C Bryan Little played together for the Barrie Colts during the 2006-07 season.
BUF G Ryan Miller played with WPG C Jim Slater during the 2001-02 season for the Michigan State Spartans.
WPG C Eric Tangradi and BUF D TJ Brennan were both selected in the second round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. Brennan was taken 21st overall, and Tangradi was taken 42nd overall.
BUF D Jordan Leopold played with WPG C Eric Tangradi for the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2009-10 season.
BUF D Christian Ehrhoff played with WPG C Kyle Wellwood for the Vancouver Canucks in 2009-10.
WPG C Kyle Wellwood played with BUF C Cody McCormick for the Belleville Bulls of the OHL from 1999-2002. Wellwood also played with Steve Ott for the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL during the 2001-02 season after getting traded from Belleville.
BUF LW Nathan Gerbe played with WPG RW Blake Wheeler on the 2006 United States World Junior team. The United States finished fourth in the tournament.
BUF D Tyler Myers, BUF C Tyler Ennis, BUF C Cody Hodgson and WPG D Zach Bogosian were all taken in the first round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Bogosian was taken 3rd overall by Atlanta, Hodgson was selected 10th overall by Vancouver, Myers was taken 12th overall and Ennis was taken 26th overall.
WPG D Ron Hainsey and BUF C Steve Ott were both taken in the first round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. Hainsey was selected 13th overall by Montreal and Ott was taken 25th overall by Dallas.
BUF D Jordan Leopold and WPG D Ron Hainsey played together for the United States in the 2000 World Junior Championship, hosted by Sweden. The United States finished fourth in the tournament.
BUF LW Thomas Vanek and WPG D Mark Stuart were both selected in the first round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Vanek was taken 5th overall by Buffalo and Stuart was taken 21st overall by Boston.
WPG D Mark Stuart and BUF RW Drew Stafford both played for the United States in the 2004 World Junior Championship, hosted by Finland. The United States won the gold medal in the tournament, and Stafford and Stuart each finished with two assists in six games.
BUF LW Marcus Foligno and WPG G Edward Pasquale were both selected in the fourth round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Foligno was taken 104th overall by Buffalo and Pasquale was selected 117th overall by Atlanta.
BUF C Cody Hodgson and WPG C Nik Antropov share a birth date. Antropov was born on Feb. 18, 1980, and Hodgson was born exactly 10 years later, on Feb. 18, 1990.
WPG C Kyle Wellwood and BUF C Mikhail Grigorenko share a birth date. Wellwood was born on May 16, 1983, and Grigorenko was born 11 years later, on May 16, 1994.
BUF C Cody McCormick and WPG RW Anthony Peluso share a birth date. McCormick was born on Apr. 18 1983, and Peluso was born on Apr. 18, 1989.
SABRES REAL-TIME STATS LEADERS
Hits: Ott (64), Foligno (39), Weber (33)
Blocked Shots: Leopold (31), Ehrhoff (28), Sekera (25)
Shots: Vanek (55), Stafford (47), Ennis (46)
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: 3-3-0 (6), 16/17, 1/23, 22/26
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)
Goals
Thomas Vanek … 5 goals … 247 career goals (ties Mike Foligno, 6th in franchise history)
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
Jochen Hecht … 800 career games played … 2/12 at OTT
Jordan Leopold … 600 career games played … 2/12 at OTT
