GAME-DAY RESOURCES
| Game Notes | NHL Stats | Press Clips |
LAST GAME
Sunday, October 15
Buffalo 3 at Anaheim 1
Goals: Bailey, Reinhart, Larsson
Goalie: Johnson (25 saves/26 shots)
PP: 0/3; PK: 4/4; Shots: Buffalo 31 – Anaheim 26
CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 20)
Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
Justin Falk (undisclosed, Oct. 5; injured reserve) – 6 games
Evan Rodrigues (hand, Oct. 5; injured reserve) – 6 games
Zach Bogosian (lower body, Oct.5; injured reserve) – 6 games
Kyle Okposo (illness, Oct. 14) – 2 games
TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYS
10/15: Recalled F Justin Bailey from Rochester (AHL); placed D Zach Bogosian on injured reserve
UPCOMING GAMES
Friday, Oct. 20: Vancouver at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 21: Buffalo at Boston, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 24: Detroit at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 25: Buffalo at Columbus, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 28: San Jose at Buffalo, 1 p.m.
TONIGHT’S GAME
SABRES at GOLDEN KNIGHTS
- This is the first of two meetings between the Sabres and Golden Knights this season.
- Next meeting: Saturday, March 10 in Buffalo
- This is the first game all-time between Buffalo and Vegas.
THIS DAY IN SABRES HISTORY
- The Sabres are 9-14-1 all-time on October 17.
- October 17, 1974: Lee Fogolin and Don Luce score goals four seconds apart in the third period as the Sabres defeat the California Golden Seals 6-1.
- October 17, 1979: The Sabres top the Hartford Whalers 3-1 in the first ever meeting between the clubs.
- October 17, 1990: Gilbert Perreault’s number 11 is raised to the rafters at Memorial Auditorium, making Perreault the first player in franchise history to have his number retired.
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
- Tonight’s game is Buffalo’s final in a four-game road trip against Pacific Division opponents. The Sabres are 1-2-0 in the first three.
- After Sunday night’s 3-1 win at Anaheim, the Sabres are looking to win in consecutive visits to Pacific Division teams for the first time since the team won six straight from Jan. 6, 2011 to Nov. 5, 2013.
- The last time the Sabres earned consecutive wins on a Pacific Division road trip was on Feb. 29 and March 1, 2012.
WELCOME TO FABULOUS LAS VEGAS
The Sabres are visiting the Golden Knights for the first-ever meeting between the teams.
- The Sabres are 14-2-1 all-time in the first game against teams that joined the league via expansion after 1970. The last such game was a 2-1 loss vs. Columbus on Jan. 23, 2001.
- Buffalo is 10-3-4 all-time in the team’s first road game against a new expansion team, including a 4-1-1 record in the six inaugural matchups that took place on the road.
A NEW LOOK
Buffalo had a franchise-record 10 players in the opening night lineup who weren’t on the team’s roster in 2016-17: Antipin, Beaulieu, Griffith, Johnson, Josefson, Nolan, Pominville, Pouliot, Scandella and Tennyson. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the most new players an NHL team has had in its opening night lineup since the 2011-12 Florida Panthers (11).
SABRES AMONG LEAGUE-LEADERS (Sabres’ league rankings before 10/16 games)
- Kane: 2 SHG (1st), 34 S (3rd)
- O’Reilly: 130 FO (3rd), 81 FOW (3rd), 62.3% FO% (7th)
- Ristolainen: 26:40 TOI (1st)
BUF-VGK CONNECTIONS
Former Sabres:
- William Carrier played in 41 games for the Sabres during the 2016-17 season and recorded eight points (5+3) before being selected by the Golden Knights in the 2017 Expansion Draft.
- Brayden McNabb was selected by the Sabres in the third round (66th overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft. He spent two seasons in Buffalo, suiting up for 37 games and tallying eight points (1+7) before being traded to the Kings on March 5, 2014.
Jack Eichel:
- Represented the United States alongside Alex Tuch at the 2015 World Junior Championship.
Seth Griffith:
- Teammates with Reilly Smith for the Florida Panthers for part of the 2016-17 season. He and Smith were both teammates with the Boston Bruins for part of the 2014-15 season as well.
- Played with Brendan Leipsic for the Toronto Marlies (AHL) during the 2016-17 season.
Chad Johnson:
- He and Griffin Reinhart were teammates for the New York Islanders during part of the 2014-15 season.
- Played with Deryk Engelland for the Calgary Flames during the 2016-17 season.
Evander Kane:
- Represented Canada alongside James Neal at the 2011 World Championship.
Jordan Nolan:
- Teammates with Brayden McNabb for the Los Angeles Kings from 2014-2017.
Kyle Okposo:
- He and Griffin Reinhart were teammates for the New York Islanders during part of the 2014-15 season.
Ryan O’Reilly:
- Teammates with Cody Eakin and Brayden McNabb for Team Canada at the 2009 World U18 Championship and the 2015 World Championship.
Jason Pominville:
- He and Clayton Stoner were teammates for the Minnesota Wild from 2013-14.
- Teammates with Alex Tuch for the Minnesota Wild during the 2016-17 campaign.
Benoit Pouliot:
- Teammates with Brad Hunt for the Edmonton Oilers from 2014-2016. He and Griffin Reinhart were teammates in Edmonton during the 2016-17 season.
Sam Reinhart:
- Griffin Reinhart is Sam’s brother.
- Played alongside Cody Eakin and Brayden McNabb during the 2010-11 season with the Kootenay Ice (WHL).
Marco Scandella:
- He and Clayton Stoner were teammates for the Minnesota Wild from 2010-2014.
- Teammates with Alex Tuch for the Minnesota Wild during the 2016-17 campaign.
NHL Draft:
- Johan Larsson (56th overall) was taken one pick before Oscar Lindberg (57th overall) in the second round of the 2010 NHL Draft. Jon Merrill (38th overall) was also selected in the second round in 2010.
- The first round of the 2012 NHL Draft saw Zemgus Girgensons go off the board at 14th overall, 10 picks after Griffin Reinhart was taken with the 4th overall selection and 10 picks before Malcom Subban was taken with the 24th overall pick.
- Seth Griffith (131st overall) and Colin Miller (151st overall) were both selected in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL Draft.
- Justin Bailey (52nd overall) and William Carrier (57th overall) were both taken in the second round of the 2013 NHL Draft.
- Sam Reinhart (2nd overall) and Alex Tuch (18th overall) were both first-round picks in the 2014 NHL Draft.
SABRES REAL-TIME STATS LEADERS
Hits: Ristolainen (19), Kane (15), Girgensons/Larsson (11)
Blocked Shots: McCabe (13), Scandella (9), Gorges/Ristolainen (8)
Shots: Kane (34), Eichel/Ristolainen (15), O’Reilly (14)
SABRES’ RECORD IN 10 GAME SEGMENTS [W-L-OTL (PTS), GF/GA, PP, PK] 1-10: 1-4-1 (3), 14/23, 2/22, 17/21
OVERTIME RESULTS (0-0; 108-11 all-time)
N/A
SHOOTOUT RESULTS (0-1; 69-65 all-time)
Oct. 5 vs. MTL: L, 3-2 (GDG-Drouin)
MILESTONES APPROACHING (Player … Needs … Milestone)
Games Played
Kyle Okposo … 2 games … 600 career games played
Jordan Nolan … 4 games … 300 career games played
Assists
Jason Pominville … 1 assist … 275 assists with Buffalo (T-8th in franchise history, Hawerchuk)
Matt Moulson … 7 assists … 200 career assists
Points
Sam Reinhart … 9 points … 100 career points
RECENT MILESTONES
Evander Kane … 500th NHL game … Oct. 12 at SJS
