Game Preview: 3/11/14 vs. Nashville Predators

GAME-DAY RESOURCES

LAST GAME
Sunday, March 9
Chicago 2 at Buffalo 1
Goals: Stafford
Goalie: Enroth (29 saves/31 shots)
PP: 0/5; PK: 5/5; Shots: Chicago 31 – Buffalo 21

CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 180)
Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
Zemgus Girgensons (undisclosed, March 7) – 2 games
Chris Stewart (lower body, March 7) – 2 games
Torrey Mitchell (lower body, March 7) – 2 games
Alexander Sulzer (undisclosed, March 9) – 1 game

TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYS
3/5: Claimed F Cory Conacher off waivers from Ottawa
3/5: Acquired F Nicolas Deslauriers and F Hudson Fasching from Los Angeles in exchange for D Brayden McNabb, F Jonathan Parker, a second-round pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft and a second-round pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
3/5: Acquired G Michal Neuvirth and D Rostislav Klesla from Washington in exchange for G Jaroslav Halak and a third-round pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
3/5: Acquired F Torrey Mitchell, a second-round pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft and a second-round pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft from Minnesota in exchange for F Matt Moulson and F Cody McCormick.
3/7: Recalled F Luke Adam and F Nicolas Deslauriers from Rochester (AHL)
3/8: Assigned F Luke Adam to Rochester (AHL); Recalled D Chad Ruhwedel from Rochester

UPCOMING GAMES
Thursday, March 13: Buffalo at Carolina, 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 15: Buffalo at NY Islanders, 7 p.m.
Sunday, March 16: Montreal at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, March 18: Buffalo at Calgary, 9 p.m.
Thursday, March 20: Buffalo at Edmonton, 9:30 p.m.

TONIGHT’S GAME
PREDATORS at SABRES

• This is the first of two meetings between the Sabres and Predators this season.
• Last meeting: Buffalo defeated Nashville, 3-2, in Nashville on Dec. 3, 2011
• Next meeting: Thursday, March 27 in Nashville
• The Sabres are 4-4-2 in their last 10 games vs. the Predators; 1-4-2 in seven home games.
• This is the 16^th game all-time between Buffalo and Nashville; Buffalo has a 7-6-2 series record.
• The Sabres are 1-4-2 at home against the Predators all-time.

THIS DAY IN SABRES HISTORY

• The Sabres are 6-7-3- all-time on March 11.
• March 11, 1979: Eight different Sabres score, including a two-goal night from Rene Robert, as the Sabres top the Flames, 9-4, at the Aud.
• March 11, 1999: The Sabres acquire Stu Barnes from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Matthew Barnaby.
• March 11, 2003: The Sabres acquire Daniel Briere and Phoenix’s third-round selection in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for Chris Gratton and Buffalo’s fourth-round choice in the 2004 Entry Draft.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

• The Sabres are seeking their second home win against the Predators (last: 8-4 win on Feb. 27, 2008).
• Tonight is Drew Stafford’s 500^th NHL game. Stafford will become the 30^th player to appear in 500 games as a member of the Sabres.
• Matt Ellis will log his 300^th NHL game tonight, including 230 as a member of the Sabres.
• Stafford, who scored the Sabres’ lone goal on Sunday, has 13 points (7+6) in his last 14 games. He hasn’t played three games without recording a point since Dec. 31 to Jan. 15.
• Tyler Ennis has 10 points (4+6) in his last 11 games and 18 points (8+10) in his last 21 games. Ennis has scored in each of his two career games against the Predators.
• Michal Neuvirth is 2-0-0 in his career against Nashville with a .950 save percentage and a 1.48 goals against average

SABRES GOALIES STEPPING UP
In the five games since the Sabres traded starting goaltender Ryan Miller to St. Louis, Sabres goaltenders Jhonas Enroth and Michal Neuvirth have combined to stop 186 of 196 shots, posting a .949 save percentage and a 2.02 goals against average.

TRADE DEADLINE RECAP
A list of players and picks traded to and from the Sabres yesterday, sorted by position:

HAPPY DREW YEAR
Drew Stafford’s career point rate from October through December is .486 (105 points in 216 games), putting him on a 40-point pace for an 82-game season. His rate from January through April is .654 (185 points in 283 games), putting him on a 54-point pace. He has 13 points (7+6) in 16 games so far in 2014 (.813 PTS/GP).

CHANGING OF THE GUARD
On Jan. 9, the Sabres hired Tim Murray to serve as the seventh general manager in franchise history. Murray, a 20-year veteran of NHL front offices, comes to the Sabres after most recently serving as the assistant general manager for the Ottawa Senators, a post he held for seven years. Part of his duties as assistant general manager included serving as general manager of Ottawa’s American Hockey League affiliate, the 2011 Calder-Cup champion Binghamton Senators.

The Sabres also hired Craig Patrick as a special assistant and advisor to the hockey department. Patrick, whose career as a hockey executive spans more than three decades, comes to the Sabres after having served as a senior advisor in the Columbus Blue Jackets’ front office since December 2011.

BUF-NSH CONNECTIONS
BUF D Alexander Sulzer played three seasons for the Predators from 2008-2011. He appeared in a total of 53 games and tallied six points (1+5).

NSH C Paul Gaustad spent the better part of eight seasons as a member of the Sabres from 2002-2012. Buffalo’s seventh-round choice (220^th overall) in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, Gaustad recorded 181 points (71+110) over a span of 479 games in a Sabres uniform. He was dealt to Nashville on Feb. 27, 2012, along with a fourth-round draft pick in 2013 in exchange for a first-round draft pick in 2012 (Zemgus Girgensons).

BUF C Cody Hodgson and NSH LW Rich Clune were both born in Toronto, Ontario.

BUF D Mike Weber and Clune both played for the Barrie Colts during the 2006-07 season.

BUF AC Joe Sacco and NSH C Matt Cullen played together for the Anaheim Ducks during the 1997-98 season.

BUF AC Jerry Forton was an assistant coach for the University of Massachusetts-Lowell when NSH G Carter Hutton played for the River Hawks during the 2009-10 season.

BUF LW Marcus Foligno (104^th overall) was chosen two picks after NSH D Mattias Ekholm (102^nd overall) and six picks after NSH C Craig Smith (98^th overall) in the fourth round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

Foligno and NSH D Ryan Ellis both represented Canada at the 2011 World Junior Championship held in Buffalo.

Hodgson, BUF D Tyler Myers, BUF C Tyler Ennis and Ryan Ellis were all teammates for Team Canada at the 2009 World Junior Championship.

BUF G Michal Neuvirth and Ryan Ellis both played for the Windsor Spitfires (OHL) during the 2007-08 season.

Myers (12^th overall), Hodgson (10^th overall), Ennis (26^th overall) and NSH C Colin Wilson (7^th overall) were all chosen in the first round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

BUF G Jhonas Enroth played with NSH RW Patric Hornqvist for Team Sweden at the 2007 World Junior Championship.

BUF D Henrik Tallinder and Hornqvist both represented Sweden at the 2010 Olympics.

BUF LW John Scott was teammates with NSH LW Viktor Stalberg for the Chicago Blackhawks from 2010-2012.

BUF C Zenon Konopka and BUF C Torrey Mitchell played alongside Cullen for the Minnesota Wild during the 2012-13 season.

SABRES REAL-TIME STATS LEADERS
Shots: Ennis (153), Stafford (142), Ehrhoff (134)
Hits: Foligno (167), Weber (162), Girgensons (135)
Blocked Shots: Weber (109), Ehrhoff (90), Myers (79)

SABRES’ RECORD IN 10-GAME SEGMENTS [W-L-OTL (PTS), GF/GA, PP, PK] 1-10: 1-8-1 (3), 13/28, 3/35, 27/32
11-20: 3-7-0 (6), 23/35, 5/24, 29/37
21-30: 2-7-1 (5), 15/28, 4/26, 20/28
31-40: 5-3-2 (12), 20/22, 3/36, 27/29
41-50: 3-4-3 (9), 26/31, 7/36, 28/32
51-60: 4-5-1 (9), 25/36, 7/36, 28/36
61-70: 1-3-0 (2), 6/9, 0/10, 19/22

OVERTIME RESULTS (3-4; 97-97 all-time)
October 10 vs. Tampa Bay: L, 3-2 (GWG-Killorn, 1:50)
November 29 vs. Toronto: W, 3-2 (GWG-Ehrhoff, 0:38)
November 30 at New Jersey: L, 1-0 (GWG-Bernier, 4:19)
December 14 vs. Calgary: L, 2-1 (GWG-Stajan, 0:42)
December 23 vs. Phoenix: W, 2-1 (GWG-Pysyk, 3:47)
January 28 vs. Washington: L, 5-4 (GWG-Green, 1:00)
February 26 vs. Boston: W, 5-4 (GWG-D’Agostini, 0:22)

SHOOTOUT RESULTS (6-4; 56-45 all-time)
October 17 at NY Islanders: W, 4-3 (GDG-Ennis)
November 5 at San Jose: W, 5-4 (GDG-Hodgson)
November 12 vs. Los Angeles: W, 3-2 (GDG-Moulson)
December 10 vs. Ottawa: W, 2-1 (GDG-Girgensons)
December 27 at Toronto: L, 4-3 (GDG-Lupul)
December 29 vs. Washington: W, 2-1 (GDG-Ott)
January 9 vs. Florida: L, 2-1 (GDG-Boyes)
January 12 at Washington: W, 2-1 (GDG-Hodgson)
January 15 at Toronto: L, 4-3 (GDG-Lupul)
January 18 vs. Columbus: L, 4-3 (GDG-Johansen)

MILESTONES APPROACHING (Player … Needs … Milestone)
Games Played
Drew Stafford … 1 game … 500 career games played
Matt Ellis … 1 game … 300 career games played
Cody Hodgson … 7 games … 200 career games played
Assists
Tyler Myers … 4 assists … 100 career assists
Tyler Ennis … 8 assists … 100 career assists
Points
Drew Stafford … 10 points … 300 career points
Torrey Mitchell … 10 points … 100 career points

RECENT MILESTONES
Nicolas Deslauriers … 1^st NHL game … March 7 at FLA