Game Preview: 4/7/13 vs. NJD

GAME-DAY RESOURCES

LAST GAME
Friday, April 5
Ottawa 2 at Buffalo 4
Goals: Adam, Ott, Flynn, Hecht
Goalie: Miller (35 saves/37 shots)
PP: 0/2; PK: 4/4; Shots: Ottawa 37 – Buffalo 30

CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 100)
Alexander Sulzer (lower body, Feb. 26; injured reserve) – 19 games
Thomas Vanek (upper body, March 28) – 5 games
Ville Leino (upper body, March 31) – 3 games

TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYS
4/1: Acquired a second-round draft pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft and a second-round draft pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Robyn Regehr.
4/1: Recalled F Luke Adam from Rochester (AHL).
4/2: Signed free agent F Tim Schaller to a two-year, entry-level contract.
4/2: Recalled D Adam Pardy from Rochester (AHL).
4/3: Acquired F Johan Larsson, G Matt Hackett, a first-round selection in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft and a second-round selection in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Jason Pominville.

UPCOMING GAMES
Tuesday, April 9: Buffalo at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.
Thursday, April 11: Montreal at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 13: Philadelphia at Buffalo, 3 p.m.
Sunday, April 14: Tampa Bay at Buffalo, 5 p.m.
Wednesday, April 17: Buffalo at Boston, 7:30 p.m.

TONIGHT’S GAME
DEVILS at SABRES
-This is the third and final meeting between the Sabres and Devils this season.
-Last meeting: New Jersey defeated Buffalo, 3-2 (SO), in New Jersey on March 7, 2012.
-The Sabres are 5-3-2 in their last 10 games vs. the Devils; 4-5-1 at home.
-This is the 139th game all-time between Buffalo and New Jersey; Buffalo is 70-45-23 against the Devils (37-22-10 at home).

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

• Buffalo enters tonight’s game looking to win three consecutive games for the third time this season.
• April is the Sabres’ best month since 2005-06; they have a 25-11-3 (.679) April record in that span, including a 2-0-0 record so far this season.
• The Sabres have had 14 of their last 19 games decided by one goal. Buffalo is 6-3-5 in those 14 games and 9-8-6 in their 23 one-goal games this season.
• Steve Ott has an assist in each of his last four games against the Devils. Ott enters tonight’s game on a two-game point streak after scoring in each of the Sabres’ last two games.

DEADLINE RECAP
The Sabres acquired two players (forward Johan Larsson and goaltender Matt Hackett) and six draft picks in the three trades the team made before Wednesday’s trade deadline. Buffalo now has 11 first- or second-round draft picks in the next three years:

• 2013: Two first-round picks, two second-round picks
• 2014: One first-round pick, three second-round picks
• 2015: One first-round pick, two second-round picks

FRANCHISE GOALTENDERS
After breaking Dominik Hasek’s franchise record for most games played by a goaltender on Tuesday at PIT and the record for most saves on Friday vs. OTT, Ryan Miller now owns the franchise records for games played, saves, wins and minutes by a goaltender. Between the two of them, Miller and Hasek own the franchise record in every major goaltending statistic.

Below is a comparison of each goaltender’s statistics as a member of the Sabres:

SOPHOMORE SURGE
After finishing fifth in NHL rookie scoring last year with 41 points (19+22), Cody Hodgson leads all sophomores (defined as 2011-12 rookies) in goals and points (stats as of 4/4):

LOGGING BIG MINUTES
Defenseman Christian Ehrhoff has averaged 25:12 TOI per game this season, the highest average of his career and the highest per-game average by a Sabres skater since Alexei Zhitnik skated 26:32 per game in the 2002-03 season.

MEET THE NEW BOSS
After being named interim head coach of the Buffalo Sabres on Feb. 20, Ron Rolston became the 16^th head coach in Sabres history. Rolston joins the Sabres after spending the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons as head coach of the Rochester Americans (AHL), compiling a 63-44-17 regular-season record. Prior to joining the Americans, Rolston spent seven seasons as head coach with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program, where he led the United States Under-18 team to three gold medals and a silver medal in four tournaments as head coach at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship.

CHANGING OF THE GUARD
The Sabres hired Ron Rolston to serve as interim head coach on Feb. 20 after the Sabres got off to a 6-10-1 (.382) start. It was the first time the Sabres had replaced their head coach mid-season since John Muckler took over for Rick Dudley on Dec. 11, 1991 after a 9-15-4 (.393) start to the season. The 1991-92 team went 22-22-8 under Muckler, ending the season 31-37-12 and finishing third in the Adams Division to clinch a playoff spot.

BUF-NJD CONNECTIONS
NJD D Henrik Tallinder played 468 games with the Buffalo Sabres from 2001-2010, totaling 108 points (20+88). The Sabres selected Tallinder in the second round of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft (48th overall), and he left the organization on July 1, 2010 when he signed a contract with New Jersey.

NJD F Dainius Zubrus played 19 games for the Buffalo Sabres during the 2006-07 season, tallying eight points (4+4). Buffalo acquired Zubrus and Timo Helbling from the Washington Capitals in exchange for Jiri Novotny and Buffalo’s 2007 first round pick on Nov. 27, 2007.

NJD F Steve Bernier played 17 games for the Sabres during the 2007-08 season after the team acquired Bernier and a 2008 first-round draft pick from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Brian Campbell and a 2008 seventh-round draft pick on November 26, 2008. Bernier recorded nine points (3+6) during his time in Buffalo.

BUF interim head coach Ron Rolston coached NJD D Peter Harrold when Harrold played for Boston College in 2003-04. Rolston served as an assistant coach for the Eagles.

BUF F Steve Ott and NJD F Krystofer Barch played together for the Dallas Stars from 2006-2012.

BUF D Christian Ehrhoff and NJD F Steve Bernier played together from 2005-2008 as members of the San Jose Sharks. They also played together for the Vancouver Canucks during the 2009-10 season.

BUF F Thomas Vanek and NJD F Steve Bernier were both drafted in the first round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Vanek was taken 5th overall by Buffalo, and Bernier was taken 13th overall by San Jose.

BUF F Drew Stafford and NJD F Travis Zajac were both taken in the first round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. Stafford was selected 13th overall by Buffalo, and Zajac was taken 20th overall by New Jersey. Stafford and Zajac also played together for the University of North Dakota from 2004-2006. North Dakota was the runner-up in the 2005 Frozen Four, and in 2006 they were national semifinalists.

BUF F Nathan Gerbe and NJD D Mark Fayne were both selected in the fifth round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Gerbe was taken 142nd overall by Buffalo, and Fayne was taken 155th overall by New Jersey.

BUF F Jochen Hecht and NJD D Bryce Salvador played together for the St. Louis Blues during the 2000-01 season. The Blues finished fourth in the Western Conference during the regular season and lost in the Western Conference finals to the eventual-Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche.

BUF F Steve Ott and NJD D Anton Volchenkov were both selected in the first round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. Volchenkov was taken 21st overall by Ottawa and Ott was taken 25th overall by Dallas.

BUF F John Scott and NJD D Marek Zidlicky played together from 2008-2010 for the Minnesota Wild.

NJD D Andy Greene and BUF F Drew Stafford share a birth date. Greene was born on Oct. 30, 1982 and Stafford was born three years later, on Oct. 30, 1985.

BUF F Patrick Kaleta and NJD D Peter Harrold share a birth date. Harrold was born on June 8, 1983, and Kaleta was born on June 8, 1986.

SABRES REAL-TIME STATS LEADERS
Hits: Ott (156), Weber (91), Foligno (80)
Blocked Shots: Ehrhoff (69), Weber (69), Sekera (55)
Shots: Hodgson (97), Stafford (97), Vanek (94)

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: 4-6-0 (8), 20/27, 1/36, 35/42
21-30: 4-3-3 (11), 29/31, 5/36, 26/35
31-40: 4-2-2 (10), 23/21, 4/29, 21/29

OVERTIME RESULTS (1-2; 94-93 all-time)
January 29 vs. Toronto: L, 4-3 (GWG-Frattin, 4:58)
March 16 vs. Ottawa: L, 4-3 (GWG-Turris, 3:54)
March 19 at Montreal: W, 3-2 (GWG-Ott, 2:16)

SHOOTOUT RESULTS (4-4; 47-41 all-time)
February 7 vs. Montreal: W, 5-4 (GDG-Pominville)
February 28 at Florida: W, 4-3 (GDG-Vanek)
March 2 vs. New Jersey: W, 4-3 (GDG-Pominville)
March 3 at NY Rangers: L, 3-2 (GDG-Nash)
March 7 at New Jersey: L, 3-2 (GDG-Clarkson)
March 21 vs. Toronto: W, 5-4 (GDG-Ott)
March 28 at Florida: L, 5-4 (GDG-Mike Santorelli)
March 30 vs. Washington: L, 4-3 (GDG-Matt Hendricks)

MILESTONES APPROACHING (Player … Needs … Milestone)
Games Played
Patrick Kaleta … 6 games … 300 career games played
Ryan Miller … 7 games … 500 career games played
Goals
Thomas Vanek … 1 goal … 247 career goals (ties Mike Foligno, 6^th in franchise history)

RECENT MILESTONES
Christian Ehrhoff … 600 career games played … 3/30 vs. WSH
Ryan Miller … 491 career games played (tied Dominik Hasek, most in franchise history) … 3/31 vs. BOS