GAME-DAY RESOURCES
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LAST GAME
Saturday, January 7
Winnipeg 3 at Buffalo 4
Goals: O’Reilly, Foligno, Girgensons, Gionta
Goalie: Lehner (32 saves/35 shots)
PP: 0/4; PK: 2/3; Shots: Buffalo 36 – Winnipeg 35
CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 194)
Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
Cody McCormick (blood clots, Oct. 13; injured reserve) – 39 games
Tyler Ennis (groin, Nov. 9; injured reserve) – 27 games
Dmitry Kulikov (lower back, Dec. 29; injured reserve) – 5 games
Johan Larsson (wrist, Jan. 3) – 3 games
William Carrier (illness, Jan. 5) – 2 games
Josh Gorges (hip, Jan. 7) – 1 game
TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYS
1/5: Activated F Ryan O’Reilly from IR; Placed D Dmitry Kulikov on IR (retroactive to 12/27)
1/10: Recalled G Linus Ullmark from Rochester (AHL); Placed F Johan Larsson on IR; Placed F Derek Grant on waivers
UPCOMING GAMES
Thursday, Jan. 12: Buffalo at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 13: Buffalo at Carolina, 7:30 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 16: Dallas at Buffalo, 1 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 17: Buffalo at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 20: Detroit at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
TONIGHT’S GAME
FLYERS at SABRES
- This is the second of three meetings between the Sabres and Flyers this season.
- Last meeting: Philadelphia defeated Buffalo 4-3 (SO) in Philadelphia on Oct. 25, 2016
- Next meeting: Tuesday, March 7 in Buffalo
- The Sabres are 3-6-1 in their last 10 games vs. the Flyers; 4-5-1 at home.
- This is the 172nd game all-time between Buffalo and Philadelphia; Buffalo has a 66-81-24 series record.
- The Sabres are 41-32-10 at home against the Flyers all-time.
THIS DATE IN SABRES HISTORY
- The Sabres are 11-7-2 all-time on January 10.
- January 10, 1974: Rene Robert and Rick Martin each score in a 10-second span in the third period as the Sabres defeat the Rangers 7-2 at the Aud.
- January 10, 1986: The Sabres get goals from seven different players, including two each from John Tucker and Dave Andreychuk, to earn the 600th win in franchise history (9-7 vs. Toronto).
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
- The Sabres are looking to extend their point streak to four games after going 2-0-1 in their last three.
- Ryan O’Reilly has 10 points (3+7) in 11 career games against the Flyers.
- Evander Kane has recorded 15 points (5+10) in 17 career games against Philadelphia.
- Cody Franson has nine assists in 17 career games against the Flyers, including three in four games since the beginning of 2015-16.
- Kyle Okposo has nine points (4+5) in 12 games against Philadelphia since the beginning of the 2013-14 season.
- Brian Gionta has totaled eight points (2+6) in 12 games against the Flyers since the beginning of the 2012-13 season.
WHO’S HOT?
- Rasmus Ristolainen has 17 points (3+14) his last 18 games.
- Sam Reinhart has recorded nine points (2+7) in his last nine games.
- Jack Eichel has tallied six points (3+3) in his last six games.
- Kyle Okposo (3+2) and Ryan O’Reilly (1+4) have each recorded five points in their last five games.
HOT AT HOME
- Matt Moulson has recorded seven points (1+6) in his last seven home games.
- Ryan O’Reilly has six points (2+4) in his last six home games.
- Marcus Foligno (2+1) and Sam Reinhart (0+3) each enter tonight’s game with a point in each of their last three home games.
- Anders Nilsson is 4-0-1 in his last five home games dating back to Oct. 29 vs. Florida, posting a .951 save percentage in those contests.
EICHEL’S 100th
If he dresses, tonight’s game will be the 100th game of Jack Eichel’s career.
- According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Eichel’s totals through 99 games already rank him in the top 15 in franchise history among players through their first 100 career games in goals (32,12th), assists (38, 13th) and points (70, 15th).
- Among all Sabres in franchise history with at least 100 games played for the team, Eichel’s current rates would rank him 22nd in goals per game (.32), 36th in assists per game (.38) and 27th in points per game (.71).
SOPHOMORE SURGE
In their second full NHL seasons, Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart have each improved on their points per game totals from 2015-16.
| 2015-16 | 2016-17 | |||
| Jack Eichel | Sam Reinhart | Jack Eichel | Sam Reinhart | |
| G/GP | .30 (25) | .29 (24) | .44 (36) | .21 (17) |
| A/GP | .40 (33) | .24 (20) | .33 (27) | .41 (34) |
| P/GP | .69 (57) | .53 (43) | .78 (64) | .62 (51) |
| SOG/GP | 2.9 (238) | 2.1 (172) | 3.8 (312) | 2.2 (180) |
(82-game pace in parentheses)
ASSIST-OLAINEN
Rasmus Ristolainen entered play Monday tied for 17th among all NHL skaters with 23 assists.
- Ristolainen has recorded an assist on 27.4 percent of his teammates’ goals*. Entering play Monday, it was the seventh-highest such percentage in the league.
- This would rank as the fourth-highest percentage in franchise history. Only one Sabres defenseman has ever recorded an assist on more than 20 percent of his teammates’ goals: Phil Housley (22.6%) in 1989-90.
- Ristolainen would need to fail to record an assist on each of his teammates’ next 18 goals to fall behind Housley’s pace.
*Teammate goals are defined as total team goals minus the player’s goals and shootout-winners.
SABRES AMONG LEAGUE-LEADERS (Sabres’ league rankings before Jan. 9 games)
- Buffalo Sabres: 21.9% PP% (8th), 51.1% FO% (10th)
- Eichel: 3.8 S/GP (3rd)
- Foligno: 118 hits (10th)
- Moulson: 7 PPG (T-9th)
- Nilsson: .940 EV SV% (5th), .926 SV% (9th)
- Okposo: 15 PPP (T-8th)
- O’Reilly: 21:33 TOI/GP (3rd, forwards), 57.2 FO% (9th)
- Ristolainen: 14 PPA (3rd), 26:50 TOI (5th), 15 PPP (T-8th), 23 A (T-5th, defensemen), 26 PTS (T-5th, defensemen)
LAST LINE OF DEFENSE
Buffalo’s goaltenders entered play Monday with the sixth-best combined save percentage* (.922) in the league. They also had the sixth-best save percentage during 5-on-5 play (.932).
- The Sabres last finished a season with a combined save percentage* above .920 in the 2009-10 season (.924, Ryan Miller/Patrick Lalime/Jhonas Enroth).
- They have topped the team’s current mark only four times in franchise history: 1998-99 (.930, Dominik Hasek/Dwayne Roloson/Martin Biron), 1997-98 (.928, Hasek/Steve Shields), 1996-97 (.926, Hasek/Shields/Andrei Trefilov) and 2009-10 (.924, Miller/Lalime/Enroth).
*Combined save percentage excludes empty net goals
BUF-PHI CONNECTIONS
Former Sabres:
- Buffalo acquired Michal Neuvirth from the Washington Capitals on March 5, 2014 and the goalie went on to post a 6-19-3 record with a .921 save percentage and a 2.96 goals-against average in 29 games for the Sabres.
Jack Eichel:
- Teammates with Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Couturier for Team North America at the 216 World Cup of Hockey.
Marcus Foligno:
- Played with Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier for Team Canada in the 2011 World Junior Championship, which took place in Buffalo.
Cody Franson:
- Teammates with Nick Schultz for Team Canada at the 2002 World Junior Championship.
Evander Kane:
- Teammates with Michael Del Zotto for Team Canada at the 2010 World Championship.
Robin Lehner:
- Played with Nick Cousins for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) during the 2009-10 season.
Jake McCabe:
- Represented the United States alongside Shayne Gostisbehere at the 2013 World Junior Championship.
Matt Moulson:
- Played with Andrew McDonald for the New York Islanders from 2009-2013.
Anders Nilsson
- Teammates with Andrew McDonald for the New York Islanders from 2011-2014.
Kyle Okposo:
- Played with Andrew McDonald for the New York Islanders from 2008-2014.
- He and Michal Neuvirth were teammates for the New York Islanders during part of the 2014-15 season.
Ryan O’Reilly:
- Represented Canada alongside Matt Read and Wayne Simmonds at the 2013 World Championship.
- Played with Sean Couturier, Claude Giroux and Brayden Schenn for Team Canada at the 2015 World Championship.
Sam Reinhart:
- Played with Travis Konecny for Team Canada at the 2014 World Junior Championship.
NHL Draft:
- Zach Bogosian (3rd overall) and Michael Del Zotto (20th) overall were both first-round selections in the 2008 NHL Draft.
- Evander Kane (4th overall by Atlanta) and Brayden Schenn (5th overall by Los Angeles) were taken in consecutive picks during the first round of the 2009 NHL Draft.
- Jack Eichel (2nd overall) and Travis Konecny (24th overall) were both first-round picks in the 2015 NHL Draft.
SABRES REAL-TIME STATS LEADERS
Hits: Foligno (118), Ristolainen (109), Gorges (77)
Blocked Shots: Ristolainen (77), Gorges (62), McCabe (56)
Shots: Okposo (99), O’Reilly (89), Ristolainen (88)
SABRES’ RECORD IN 10 GAME SEGMENTS [W-L-OTL (PTS), GF/GA, PP, PK]
1-10: 4-4-2 (10), 23/24, 8/35, 26/31
11-20: 3-4-3 (9), 15/26, 6/31, 28/36
21-30: 5-3-2 (12), 31/26, 8/30, 13/24
31-40: 3-4-2 (8), 23/30, 6/32, 20/26
OVERTIME RESULTS (2-4; 104-109 all-time)
Oct. 18 at CGY: L, 4-3 (GWG-Monahan)
Nov. 11 vs. NJD: L, 2-1 (GWG-Greene)
Dec. 5 at WSH: L, 3-2 (GWG-Johansson)
Dec. 6 vs. EDM: W, 4-3 (GWG-Ristolainen)
Dec. 16 vs. NYI: W, 3-2 (GWG-Ristolainen)
Jan. 5 at CHI: L, 4-3 (GWG-Kane)
SHOOTOUT RESULTS (1-5; 68-63 all-time)
Oct. 25 at PHI: L, 4-3 (GDG-Giroux)
Nov. 9 vs. OTT: L, 2-1 (GDG-Ryan)
Nov. 19 vs. PIT: W, 2-1 (GDG-C. O’Reilly)
Nov. 23 vs. DET: L, 2-1 (GDG-Vanek)
Dec. 17 at CAR: L, 2-1 (GDG-Stempniak)
Dec. 20 at FLA: L, 4-3 (GDG-Trocheck)
MILESTONES APPROACHING (Player … Needs … Milestone)
Games Played
Jack Eichel … 1 game … 100 NHL games
Zach Bogosian … 3 games … 500 NHL games
Cody Franson … 5 games … 500 NHL games
Justin Falk … 6 games … 200 NHL games
Matt Moulson … 6 games … 600 NHL games
Points
Kyle Okposo … 4 points … 400 NHL points
Cody Franson … 5 points … 200 NHL points
Rasmus Ristolainen … 9 points … 100 NHL points
RECENT MILESTONES
N/A
