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LAST GAME
Thursday, January 12
Buffalo 2 at Tampa Bay 4
Goals: Moulson, Kane
Goalie: Nilsson (25 saves/28 shots); 1 ENG
PP: 0/4; PK: 3/5; Shots: Tampa Bay 29 – Buffalo 26
CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 202)
Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
Cody McCormick (blood clots, Oct. 13; injured reserve) – 41 games
Tyler Ennis (groin, Nov. 9; injured reserve) – 29 games
Dmitry Kulikov (lower back, Dec. 29; injured reserve) – 7 games
Johan Larsson (wrist, Jan. 3; injured reserve) – 5 games
Josh Gorges (hip, Jan. 7) – 3 games
Robin Lehner (illness, Jan. 10) – 2 games
TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYS
1/10: Recalled G Linus Ullmark from Rochester (AHL); Placed F Johan Larsson on IR; Placed F Derek Grant on waivers
1/11: F Derek Grant claimed off waivers by Nashville
UPCOMING GAMES
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.
Saturday, Jan. 21: Buffalo at Montreal, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 24: Buffalo at Nashville, 8 p.m.
TONIGHT’S GAME
SABRES at HURRICANES
- This is the third and final meeting between the Sabres and Hurricanes this season.
- Last meeting: Carolina defeated Buffalo 3-1 in Buffalo on Dec. 22, 2016
- The Sabres are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games vs. the Hurricanes; 4-5-1 on the road.
- This is the 198th game all-time between Buffalo and Carolina/Hartford; Buffalo has a 102-70-25 series record.
- The Sabres are 44-38-17 on the road against the Hurricanes/Whalers all-time.
THIS DATE IN SABRES HISTORY
- The Sabres are 8-10-1 all-time on January 13.
- January 13, 1974: Gilbert Perreault scores his 100th NHL goal and Dave Dryden records his fifth and final shutout as a member of the Sabres in a 1-0 victory against the St. Louis Blues at the Aud.
- January 13, 2000: Martin Biron stops 39 shots and Byron Defoe turns aside 23 as the Sabres and Bruins duel to a 0-0 tie.
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
- If he dresses, tonight will be Zach Bogosian’s 500th NHL game.
- Evander Kane has 21 points (9+12) in 24 career games against the Hurricanes.
- Matt Moulson has 19 points (6+13) in his last 19 games against Carolina.
- Marcus Foligno has a point in each of his last four games against the Hurricanes (1+3).
- Kyle Okposo has tallied 12 points (5+7) in 13 career visits to Carolina.
WHO’S HOT?
- Rasmus Ristolainen has 18 points (3+15) his last 20 games.
- Ryan O’Reilly has recorded 15 points (4+11) in his last 16 games, including six points (1+5) in four games since returning from a four-game absence following an appendectomy.
- Sam Reinhart has recorded 12 points (3+9) in his last 11 games.
- Jack Eichel has tallied seven points (3+4) in his last eight games.
- Zemgus Girgensons has three points (1+2) in his last two games.
- Evander Kane enters tonight’s game on a two-game goal streak.
ROAD WARRIORS
- Ryan O’Reilly has 15 points (6+9) in 16 road games this season, including seven points (2+5) in his last seven.
- Kyle Okposo has 16 points (8+8) in 21 road games this season, including four points in his last four (2+2).
- Jack Eichel has eight points (4+4) in 10 road games this season, including points in each of his last five (3+3).
- Rasmus Ristolainen has 14 points (1+13) in 21 road games this season, including eight (1+7) in his last 10.
- Sam Reinhart has six points (2+4) in his last seven road games.
BACK-TO-BACK
Tonight’s game wraps up Buffalo’s sixth of a league-high 19 sets of back-to-back games this season after the team’s 4-2 loss last night at Tampa Bay. The Sabres are 2-2-2 in the first game of back-to-back sets and 2-2-1 in the second game so far this season. Buffalo’s point breakdown in previous back-to-back sets this season is: four points (1), three points (2), two points (0), one point (1) and zero points (1).
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) |
.40 (33) |
.22 (18) |
| A/GP |
.40 (33) |
.24 (20) |
.35 (29) |
.44 (36) |
| P/GP |
.69 (57) |
.53 (43) |
.75 (62) |
.66 (54) |
| SOG/GP |
2.9 (238) |
2.1 (172) |
3.7 (303) |
2.2 (178) |
(82-game pace in parentheses)
SABRES AMONG LEAGUE-LEADERS (Sabres’ league rankings after last night’s game)
- Buffalo Sabres: 21.6% PP% (10th), 50.6% FO% (10th)
- Eichel: 3.7 S/GP (4th)
- Foligno: 128 hits (T-9th)
- Nilsson: .942 EV SV% (5th), .928 SV% (7th)
- O’Reilly: 21:37 TOI/GP (3rd, forwards), 56.9 FO% (8th)
- Ristolainen: 15 PPA (T-2nd), 26:53 TOI (5th), 16 PPP (T-8th), 24 A (5th, defensemen), 27 PTS (6th, defensemen)
LAST LINE OF DEFENSE
Buffalo’s goaltenders ended last night’s game with the fifth-best combined save percentage* (.923) in the league. They also had the sixth-best save percentage during 5-on-5 play (.933).
- 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-CAR CONNECTIONS
Local Ties:
- Lee Stempniak was born in West Seneca, New York and played for the Buffalo Lightning (Ontario Junior Hockey League) during the 2000-01 season.
Dan Bylsma:
- Coached Jordan Staal for the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2009-2012.
- Coached Lee Stempniak for the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2013-14 season.
Zach Bogosian:
- Represented the United States alongside Ron Hainsey and Lee Stempniak at the 2009 World Championship. Bogosian and Hainsey also played together from 2008-2011 for the Atlanta Thrashers and from 2011-2013 for the Winnipeg Jets.
Nicolas Deslauriers:
- Shares a birthday with Andrej Nestrasil. Both players were born on Feb. 22, 1991. The two were also drafted in the third round of the 2009 NHL Draft. Nestrasil went 75th overall, and Deslauriers was taken 84th overall.
Jack Eichel:
- Played with Jaccob Slavin for the United States at the 2014 World Junior Championship.
- Represented the United States alongside Justin Faulk at the 2015 World Championship.
Cody Franson:
- Teammates with Jay McClement for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2012-2014.
Evander Kane:
- Played with Ron Hainsey from 2009-2011 for the Atlanta Thrashers and from 2011-2013 for the Winnipeg Jets.
- Played with Jeff Skinner for Team Canada at the 2011 and 2012 World Championships. Cam Ward was also on the 2012 squad.
Anders Nilsson:
- Represented Sweden alongside Victor Rask at the 2015 World Championship.
Ryan O’Reilly:
- Played with Jay McClement for the Colorado Avalanche from 2010-2012.
- Played with Jeff Skinner for Team Canada at the 2012 and 2013 World Championships. Cam Ward was also on the team in 2012 and Jordan Staal was on the 2013 squad.
Kyle Okposo:
- Played with Lee Stempniak and Ron Hainesy for the United States at the 2009 World Championship.
Rasmus Ristolainen:
- Played with Teuvo Teravainen for Finland at the 2013 and 2014 World Junior Championships. The two were also teammates on the 2012 Finland World U18 Championship squad.
NHL Draft:
- Kyle Okposo (7th overall) and Jordan Staal (2nd overall) were both first-round selections in the 2006 NHL Draft.
- Zemgus Girgensons (14th overall) and Teuvo Teravainen (18th overall) were selected in the first round of the 2012 NHL Draft.
- Jack Eichel (2nd overall) and Noah Hanifin (5th overall) were both first-round picks in the 2015 NHL Draft. They also played together for the United States during the 2015 World Junior Championship.
SABRES REAL-TIME STATS LEADERS
Hits: Foligno (128), Ristolainen (112), Carrier (80)
Blocked Shots: Ristolainen (85), Gorges (62), McCabe (62)
Shots: Okposo (102), Kane (93), O’Reilly (93)
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: 4-4-2 (10), 27/31, 7/34, 21/28
41-50: 0-1-0 (0), 2/4, 0/4, 3/5
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
Zach Bogosian … 1 game … 500 NHL games
Cody Franson … 3 games … 500 NHL games
Justin Falk … 4 games … 200 NHL games
Matt Moulson … 4 games … 600 NHL games
Points
Kyle Okposo … 4 points … 400 NHL points
Cody Franson … 5 points … 200 NHL points
Rasmus Ristolainen … 8 points … 100 NHL points
RECENT MILESTONES
Jack Eichel … 100th NHL game … Jan. 10 vs. PHI
