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LAST GAME
Thursday, April 10
Buffalo 1 at NY Rangers 2
Goals: Stafford
Goalie: Hackett (30 saves/28 shots)
PP: 0/2; PK: 4/4; Shots: NY Rangers 30 – Buffalo 24
CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 288)
Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
Alexander Sulzer (upper body, March 15) – 14 games
Michal Neuvirth (lower body, March 16) – 13 games
Jhonas Enroth (lower body, March 18) – 12 games
Tyler Myers (undisclosed, March 27) – 8 games
Nathan Lieuwen (concussion, April 8) – 2 games
Chad Ruhwedel (concussion, April 8) – 2 games
TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYS
4/8: Recalled D Mark Pysyk and G Andrey Makarov from Rochester (AHL); Assigned F Luke Adam to Rochester
4/9: Assigned F Johan Larsson and F Nicolas Deslauriers to Rochester (AHL)
4/10: Assigned D Mark Pysyk to Rochester (AHL)
4/11: Recalled G Connor Knapp from Rochester (AHL); Assigned G Andrey Makarov to Rochester
UPCOMING GAMES
Sunday, April 13: NY Islanders at Buffalo, 5 p.m.
TODAY’S GAME
SABRES at BRUINS
- This is the fifth and final meeting between the Sabres and Bruins this season.
- Last meeting: Buffalo defeated Boston, 5-4 (OT), in Boson on Feb. 26
- The Sabres are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games vs. the Bruins; 4-4-2 on the road.
- This is the 273rd game all-time between Buffalo and Boston; Buffalo has a 119-113-40 series record.
- The Sabres are 46-69-19 on the road against the Bruins all-time.
THIS DAY IN SABRES HISTORY
- The Sabres are 2-4-0 (regular season) all-time on April 12.
- April 12, 1992: Dave Andreychuk scores his franchise-record 28th power play goal of the season as the Sabres top Montreal, 3-1, in the 500th regular-season home-ice win in franchise history.
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
- The Sabres will look to win consecutive matchups with the Bruins for the first time since Feb. 8 and Feb. 24, 2012.
- The Bruins and Sabres have had 11 games decided in shootout (Sabres are 5-6), tying for the Sabres’ highest mark against any opponent (Ottawa, 7-4 and New Jersey, 7-4).
- After recording an assist on Thursday at NYR, Mike Weber has tied his career-best three-game point streak (last: Dec. 27, 2010 to Jan, 1, 2011).
- Drew Stafford needs two points to become the 26th player to record 300 points as a member of the Sabres.
- Cody Hodgson has seven points (3+4) in his last seven games.
NINE NETMINDERS
The Sabres have iced five different goaltenders this year (Enroth, Hackett, Lieuwen, Miller, Neuvirth), the team’s highest total since 1995-96 (Biron, Blue, Hasek, Shields, Trefilov). With three more goalies serving as backups this season (Vinz, Halak and Makarov), the team has dressed eight different goaltenders. According to Elias Sports Bureau, this ties the NHL record for most goaltenders dressed set in 2009-10 by Anaheim and matched this year by Edmonton. Buffalo will break that record with Connor Knapp on the bench for the Sabres tonight.
SECOND-HALF SURGE
Tyler Ennis has made the most of an increased role during the second half of the season, logging 19:37 per game and notching 28 points (13+15) in his 37 games following the season’s halfway mark. Ennis averaged 18:07 of ice time and recorded 15 points (8+7) through the first 41 games of the season. He now has a career-high 21 goals this season.
Drew Stafford has also seen the most ice time of his career in the second half of this season after leaving with an injury just four shifts into the team’s 41st game. Stafford has averaged 20:04 of ice time and posted 21 points (12+9) in 27 games since the season’s halfway mark. In the 41 games prior to the midway point, Stafford had 13 points (4+9) in and averaged 17:36 per game.
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 (193 points in 295 games), putting him on a 54-point pace. He has 21 points (12+9) in 29 games so far in 2014 (.724 PTS/GP).
BACK-TO-BACK
Tonight’s game opens up Buffalo’s 13th of 13 sets of back-to-back games this season. The Sabres are 4-8-0 in the first game of back-to-back sets and 1-8-3 in the second game this season. Buffalo’s point breakdown in previous back-to- back sets this season is: four points (0), three points (1), two points (4), one point (2) and zero points (5).
A NEW LOOK
- Only nine Sabres players dressed for both the first game of the season and Thursday’s game at NY Rangers: Ehrhoff, Ennis, Flynn, Girgensons, Hodgson, Ristolainen, Stafford, Tallinder, Weber
- With Jake McCabe’s NHL debut on April 3 at St. Louis, 44 different players have played at least one game for the Sabres this season.
- According to Elias Sports Bureau, this tops the previous franchise record of 43, set in the 1986-87 season and matched in 1991-92.
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-BOS CONNECTIONS
BOS LW Daniel Paille was a part of the Sabres’ organization from 2002-2009. He was selected in the first round (20th overall) by the Sabres in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. He played 195 games for the Sabres, recording 77 points (35+42). He played 153 games for the Rochester Americans, where he also recorded 77 points (35+42).
BUF HC Ted Nolan coached BOS LW Brad Marchand for the Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL) during the 2005-06 season.
BUF G Jhonas Enroth, BUF G Michael Neuvirth, BUF D Mike Weber, BUF D Jamie McBain and BOS LW Milan Lucic were all selected in the second round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Neuvirth was chosen 34th overall, Enroth was taken 46th overall, Lucic was taken 50th overall, Weber was selected 57th overall and McBain 63rd overall.
BOS LW Loui Eriksson has been a teammate of two current Sabres players: D Henrik Tallinder (Team Sweden, 2010 & 2014 Olympics) and Enroth (Team Sweden, 2014 Olympics, 2011 and 2012 World Hockey Championships).
BUF LW Marcus Foligno and Hamilton both represented Canada at the 2011 World Junior Championship held in Buffalo.
BUF C Cody Hodgson, BOS RW Reilly Smith, BOS C Chris Kelly and BOS D Dougie Hamilton are all natives of Toronto, Ontario.
BUF LW John Scott, BUF C Tyler Ennis, Boychuk andBOS RW Jarome Iginla were all born in Edmonton, Alberta.
Boychuk played under current BUF AC Joe Sacco for three consecutive seasons in the AHL with the Lowell Lock Monsters (2005-06), Albany River Rats (2006-07) and Lake Erie Monsters (2007-08).
Sacco played with BOS D Zdeno Chara for the New York Islanders for two seasons (1997-1999).
Sacco was also teammates with BOS D Dennis Seidenberg for the Philadelphia Flyers and Philadelphia Phantoms (AHL) during the 2002-03 season.
BUF D Christian Ehrhoff played with Seidenberg for Team Germany in the 2002, 2006 and 2010 Olympic Games.
BUF D Alexander Sulzer was also a member of the club during the 2006 and 2010 games.
Weber and BOS D Matt Bartkowski were both born in Pittsburgh, PA.
BUF C Zemgus Girgensons was born on January 5, 1994, exactly 10 years after BOS D Corey Potter, who was born January 5, 1984.
BUF C Zenon Konopka played alongside BOS D Andrej Meszaros for the Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2009-10 season.
BUF RW Drew Stafford and Team USA played against Meszaros and Team Slovakia in the 2004 and 2005 IIHF World Junior Championships. The two were also both drafted in the first round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, as Stafford was chosen 13th overall and Meszaros 23rd overall.
SABRES REAL-TIME STATS LEADERS
Shots: Ennis (200), Stafford (178), Hodgson (174)
Hits: Weber (203), Foligno (202), Girgensons (156)
Blocked Shots: Weber (152), Ehrhoff (118), McBain (108)
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: 2-8-0 (4), 14/27, 3/29, 34/41
71-80: 1-8-1 (3), 17/34, 4/30, 27/34
OVERTIME RESULTS (3-5; 97-98 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)
March 29 vs. Tampa Bay: L, 4-3 (GWG-Stamkos, 1:53)
SHOOTOUT RESULTS (7-4; 57-45 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)
April 1 vs. New Jersey: W, 3-2 (GDG-Leino)
MILESTONES APPROACHING (Player … Needs … Milestone)
Games Played
Christian Ehrhoff … 9 games … 700 career games
Assists
Tyler Myers … 2 assists … 100 career assists
Tyler Ennis … 4 assists … 100 career assists
Points
Drew Stafford … 2 points … 300 career points
Jamie McBain … 9 points … 100 career points
Torrey Mitchell … 10 points … 100 career points
RECENT MILESTONES
N/A
