GAME-DAY RESOURCES
| Game Notes | NHL Stats | Press Clips |
LAST GAME
Monday, March 30
Buffalo 4 at Arizona 1
Goals: Meszaros (2), Gionta, Ristolainen
Goalie: Lindback (28 saves/29 shots)
PP: 1/1; PK: 2/2; Shots: Buffalo 36 – Arizona 29
CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 318)
Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
Cody McCormick (lower body, Jan. 13; injured reserve) – 33 games
Josh Gorges (lower body, Feb. 15; injured reserve) – 21 games
Evander Kane (shoulder, Feb. 15; injured reserve) – 21 games
Zemgus Girgensons (lower body, Feb. 26; injured reserve) – 15 games
Chad Johnson (lower body, March 6) – 12 games
Jerry D’Amigo (upper body, March 23) – 4 games
Tyler Ennis (lower body, March 28) – 2 games
Matt Hackett (undisclosed, March 30) – 1 game
TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYS
3/26: Activated F Patrick Kaleta from IR
3/27: Recalled F Tim Schaller from Rochester (AHL)
3/30: Recalled G Andrey Makarov from Rochester (AHL)
UPCOMING GAMES
Friday, April 3: Chicago at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Saturday, April 4: Buffalo at NY Islanders, 7 p.m.
Monday, April 6: Carolina at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Friday, April 10: Buffalo at Columbus, 7 p.m.
Saturday, April 11: Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
TONIGHT’S GAME
MAPLE LEAFS at SABRES
- This is the fourth and final meeting between the Sabres and Maple Leafs this season.
- Last meeting: Toronto defeated Buffalo, 4-3 (SO), in Toronto on March 11
- The Sabres are 4-3-3 in their last 10 games vs. the Maple Leafs; 8-1-1 at home
- This is the 197th game all-time between Buffalo and Toronto; Buffalo has a 107-63-26 series record.
- The Sabres are 65-25-8 at home against the Maple Leafs all-time.
THIS DATE IN SABRES HISTORY
- The Sabres are 16-5-3 all-time on April 1.
- April 1, 1973: The Sabres clinch their first ever playoff spot with a 3-1 win vs. St. Louis on the last day of the season.
- April 1, 1984: Phil Housley picks up two assists to reach 77 points for the season in a 4-2 win at Toronto.
- April 1, 1997: Rob Ray plays in his 500th NHL game, becoming the 17th player in franchise history to play 500 games as a member of the Sabres.
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
- The Sabres and Maple Leafs are meeting on April 1 for the seventh time in franchise history. The Sabres are 2-4-0 in the previous six.
- Matt Moulson has recorded 17 points (10+7) in his last 12 games against the Maple Leafs, dating back to the beginning of the 2011-12 season. In 23 career games against Toronto, he has 23 points (15+8).
- Anders Lindback is 2-0-1 in four career games against the Maple Leafs, with a .935 save percentage and a 1.81 goals-against average.
- Seven of the last 13 games between these teams have gone to overtime.
- Brian Gionta has recorded nine points (4+5) in his last eight games. It is his most prolific eight-game stretch since Nov. 2010.
- The Sabres have gotten six of their seven goals in the last two games from defensemen.
- Nicolas Deslauriers ranked eighth in the league with 246 hits entering Sunday night’s games.
HOME SWEET HOME
- The home team has won 18 of the last 20 games between the Sabres and the Maple Leafs, including each of the last 10.
- The Sabres are 14-1-1 in their last 16 home games against the Maple Leafs, including wins in their last four.
- The Maple Leafs haven’t won at First Niagara Center since Jan. 29, 2013. Their last regulation win in Buffalo was a 2-1 win on Feb. 16, 2011.
- Toronto hasn’t won consecutive games in Buffalo since March 21 and Dec. 12, 2008.
HE’S HEATING UP!
Andrej Meszaros has scored two goals in each of the team’s last two games, marking the first time the Sabres have gotten consecutive multi-goal games from their defense corps since they got two-goal nights from Alexei Zhitnik on April 1, 2001 and Jason Woolley on April 2, 2001. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Meszaros is the first defenseman in Sabres franchise history to record consecutive multi-goal games.
HE’S ON FIRE!
Rasmus Ristolainen enters tonight’s game on a three-game goal-scoring streak. It is the first three-game goal streak by a Sabres defenseman since Jay McKee scored in three straight from March 20 to 27, 2000. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, a goal tonight for Ristolainen would mark just the second ever four-game goal streak by a Sabres defenseman (last: Phil Housley, Nov. 22 to 30, 1988).
CONSISTENT PRODUCTION
Matt Moulson has not gone consecutive games without recording a point since Feb. 15 and 17. Since then, he has posted 16 points (4+15) in 19 games. Moulson has not gone consecutive home games without recording a point since Jan. 13 and 15. Since then, he has posted 11 points (2+9) in 13 home games.
BIGGER ROLE FOR LARSSON
Since assuming a larger role at the beginning of March, Johan Larsson has seen a marked improvement in several statistical categories (percentage stats include 5-on-5 play only):
|
Johan Larsson, 2014-15 season |
|||||||||
| Month | GP | G | A | P | SOG | TOI/GP | +/- | CF%/SAT% | FF%/USAT% |
| Nov. – Feb. | 20 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 16 | 9:47 | -1 | 37.9% | 38.4% |
| March | 13 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 24 | 19:19 | +4 | 46.4% | 46.8% |
LIGHTS-OUT LINDBACK
In the 11 games since he was acquired from the Dallas Stars on Feb. 11, Anders Lindback has recorded a .926 save percentage and a 2.62 goals-against average, stopping at least 30 shots in seven of his 10 starts.
BUF-TOR CONNECTIONS
Former Sabres:
- TJ Brennan was Buffalo’s second-round choice (31st overall) in the 2007 NHL Draft. He played 21 games for the Sabres from 2011-2013, totaling two goals. He also played 225 games for Buffalo’s AHL affiliate and had 127 points (51+76) in 225 games.
Former Maple Leafs:
- Jerry D’Amigo was drafted by Toronto in the sixth round (158th overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft and was a part of the Maple Leafs’ organization for five seasons. He played 22 games for the Maple Leafs during the 2013-14 season and had three points (1+2). D’Amigo also scored 118 points (57+61) in 240 games for the Toronto Marlies (AHL) from 2010-2014.
Danny Flynn:
- Coached Zach Sill for the Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL) from 2007-2009.
Zach Dalpe:
- Played with David Booth for the Vancouver Canucks during the 2013-14 season.
Nicolas Deslauriers:
- Played with Brandon Kozun for the Manchester Monarchs (AHL) from 2011-2014.
Tyler Ennis:
- Ennis and Dion Phaneuf were both born in Edmonton, Alberta.
- He and Nazem Kadri share the same birthday. Ennis was born on Oct. 6, 1989, while Kadri was born on the same day in 1990.
Cody Hodgson:
- Hodgson and Peter Holland are both natives of Toronto, Ontario.
- Played with Sam Carrick for the Brampton Battalion (OHL) from 2008-2010.
Johan Larsson:
- Played with Tim Erixon for Team Sweden at the 2011 World Junior Championship.
Anders Lindback:
- Played with Richard Panik for the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2012-2014.
Andrej Meszaros:
- Played with James Van Riemsdyk for the Philadelphia Flyers from 2010-12.
- Represented Team Slovakia alongside Richard Panik at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Matt Moulson:
- Played with Jonathan Bernier for the Los Angeles Kings and Manchester Monarchs (AHL) for two seasons (2007-2009)
Tyson Strachan:
- Played with Eric Brewer for the St. Louis Blues from 2008-2011.
Phil Varone:
- Played with Nazem Kadri for the Kitchener Rangers (OHL) from 2006-2008 and again for the London Knights (OHL) from 2008-2010.
World Championship:
- Cody Hodgson, Nazem Kadri, James Reimer and Morgan Rielly all represented Team Canada at the 2014 World Championship.
NHL Entry Draft:
- Zach Bogosian (3rd overall), Cody Hodgson (10th overall), Tyler Ennis (26th overall) and Jake Gardiner (17th overall) were all chosen in the first round of the 2008 NHL Draft.
- Jerry D’Amigo (158th overall) and Brandon Kozun (179th overall) were both sixth-round picks in the 2009 NHL Draft.
- Zemgus Girgensons (14th overall) and Morgan Rielly (5th overall) were both selected in the first round of the 2012 NHL Draft.
SABRES REAL-TIME STATS LEADERS
Hits: Deslauriers (246), Foligno (178), Weber (169)
Blocked Shots: Weber (165), Gorges (148), Ristolainen (124)
Shots: Ennis (173), Moulson (147), Gionta (141)
SABRES’ RECORD IN 10 GAME SEGMENTS [W-L-OTL (PTS), GF/GA, PP, PK]
1-10: 2-8-0 (2), 11/33, 0/32, 33/39
11-20: 3-5-2 (8), 23/36, 4/27, 28/39
21-30: 7-3-0 (14), 22/22, 2/25, 20/25
31-40: 2-7-1 (5), 21/44, 4/27, 19/31
41-50: 0-10-0 (0), 17/43, 6/29, 26/37
51-60: 3-5-2 (8), 16/23, 3/27, 26/32
61-70: 3-5-2 (8), 24/33, 3/22, 21/30
71-80: 1-4-1 (3), 14/20, 5/20, 11/13
OVERTIME RESULTS (1-3; 98-101 all-time)
October 30 vs. Boston: L, 3-2 (GDG-Marchand, 1:20)
December 13 vs. Florida: W, 4-3 (GDG-Zadorov, 0:29)
December 21 at Boston: L, 4-3 (Eriksson, 2:14)
March 26 vs. Arizona: L 4-3 (Gagner, 0:56)
SHOOTOUT RESULTS (8-5; 65-51 all-time)
October 14 at Carolina: W, 4-3 (GDG-Girgensons)
November 2 vs. Detroit: W, 3-2 (GDG-Girgensons)
November 5 vs. Montreal: L, 2-1 (GDG-Parenteau)
November 29 at Montreal: W, 4-3 (GDG-Flynn)
December 2 vs. Tampa Bay: W, 2-1 (GDG-Hodgson)
December 15 vs. Ottawa: W, 5-2 (GDG-Moulson)
December 27 vs. NY Islanders: W, 4-3 (GDG-Ennis)
February 17 at New Jersey: L, 2-1 (GDG-Gomez)
February 19 at Philadelphia: W, 3-2 (GDG-Flynn)
February 22 vs. Nashville: L, 2-1 (GDG-Forsberg)
March 11 at Toronto: L, 4-3 (GDG-Bozak)
March 16 vs. Washington: L, 4-3 (GDG-Kuznetsov)
March 17 at Boston: W, 2-1 (GDG-Ennis)
MILESTONES APPROACHING (Player … Needs … Milestone)
Assists
Zach Bogosian … 9 assists … 100 career assists
RECENT MILESTONES
N/A
