Tag Archives: Washington Capitals

GAME-DAY RESOURCES

LAST GAME
Tuesday, April 13
Buffalo 2 at Boston 3 (SO)
Goals: Miller, Dahlin
Goalie: Ullmark (3 saves/ 3 shots), Tokarski (29 saves/31 shots)
PP: 0/3; PK: 1/1; Shots: Boston 34 – Buffalo 23

CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 206)
Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
Zemgus Girgensons (hamstring, Jan. 14; injured reserve) – 42 games
William Borgen (forearm, Feb. 22; injured reserve) – 28 games
Jake McCabe (knee, Feb. 22; injured reserve) – 28 games
Jack Eichel (neck, March 9; injured reserve) – 19 games
Carter Hutton (lower body, March 24) – 12 games
Riley Sheahan (upper body, April 14) – 0 games
Linus Ullmark (lower body, April 14) – 0 games

TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYS
4/9: Claimed F Drake Caggiula off waivers; Recalled F Arttu Ruotsalainen from the taxi squad; Reassigned F Steven Fogarty to the taxi squad
4/10: Acquired a third-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft from the Florida Panthers in exchange for D Brandon Montour; Reassigned F Jean-Sebastien Dea to the taxi squad; Loaned F Steven Fogarty to the Rochester Americans (AHL)
4/12: Acquired F Anders Bjork and a second-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft from the Boston Bruins in exchange for F Taylor Hall and F Curtis Lazar
4/15: Recalled G Michael Houser from the taxi squad

UPCOMING GAMES
Saturday, April 17: Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 3 p.m.
Sunday, April 18: Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 3 p.m.
Tuesday, April 20: Boston at Buffalo, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 22: Boston at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Friday, April 23: Boston at Buffalo, 7 p.m.

TONIGHT’S GAME
SABRES at CAPITALS

• This is the eighth and final meeting between the Sabres and Capitals this season.
• Last meeting: Washington defeated Buffalo 4-3 in Buffalo on April 9th.
• The Sabres are 3-6-1 in their last 10 games vs. the Capitals; 1-6-3 on the road.
• This is the 171st game all-time between Buffalo and Washington; Buffalo has a 91-57-22 series record.
• The Sabres are 42-31-13 on the road against the Capitals all-time.

THIS DAY IN SABRES HISTORY

• The Sabres are 1-3-0 all-time on April 15 (regular season).
• April 15, 1993: Alexander Mogilny scores his 75th and 76th of the season, extending his record for goals in a season by a Sabre in a 7-4 loss to Philadelphia.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW.

• Buffalo has a plus-12 penalty differential (24 drawn/12 taken) against the Capitals this season, their highest penalty differential against any opponent this year.
• Sam Reinhart is tied for fourth in the NHL with 11 road goals this season.
• Rasmus Dahlin has totaled six points (2+4) in his last six games, his best six-game stretch since he had seven points (1+6) in six games from Feb. 9 to 22, 2020. Dahlin’s five even-strength points and six total points since April 3 tie him for first and fourth, respectively, among all NHL defensemen during that stretch.
• Entering play Wednesday, the Sabres were the least-penalized team in the NHL with 6:18 of penalty time per game this season. Buffalo has been assessed 265 total penalty minutes this season, nine fewer than the closest team, the New Jersey Devils.

HOT AGAINT THE CAPITALS

• Victor Olofsson has recorded five points (3+2) in seven games against the Capitals this season. His three goals against Washington lead the team.
• Rasmus Ristolainen’s five points (1+4) in six games against the Capitals are his most against any opponent this season. Ristolainen’s 23:15 time on ice per game against Washington this season leads all Sabres.
• Olofsson (2+1, 3 GP), Ristolainen (0+2, 2 GP), Dylan Cozens (1+0, 1 GP) and Casey Mittelstadt (0+1, 1 GP), are all playing at a point-per-game pace in Washington this season.
• Cody Eakin owns a 68.5 faceoff win percentage and 75.0 defensive zone faceoff win percentage against the Capitals this season. Both mark his highest against any opponent and lead all Sabres skaters who have taken at least five faceoffs against Washington this year.

THREE’S COMPANY

• In the team’s last five games, the line of Rasmus Asplund, Casey Mittelstadt and Tage Thompson has skated together more than any other forward line at 5-on-5 (48:46). During that time, they have outshot their opponents 30-23, outscored opponents 3-0 and have a 59.9 expected-goals percentage at 5-on-5, according to Natural Stat Trick.
• All three players have scored at least twice during the five-game stretch – Asplund on April 6 and 11, Mittelstadt on April 6, 9 and 11, and Thompson on April 8 and 9.

WELCOME TO BUFFALO

ANDERS BJORK

• The Sabres acquired forward Anders Bjork along with a second-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft from the Boston Bruins on April 12 in exchange for forwards Taylor Hall and Curtis Lazar.
• Bjork recorded his first point as a Sabre on his first shift of the game on April 13 at Boston with an assist on Colin Miller’s
• Bjork has totaled five points (2+3) in 30 games this season with Boston after setting career highs in games played (58), goals (9), assists (10) and points (19) in 2019-20.
• Bjork was named to the Hobey Baker Top 10 after his junior season at the University of Notre Dame in 2016-17, during which he tied for ninth in NCAA scoring with 52 points (21+31) in 39 games. He totaled 109 points (40+69) in 115 collegiate contests.
• The Mequon, Wisconsin native has represented the United States at the IIHF World Championship (2017), the IIHF World Junior Championship (2016) and the IIHF U18 World Championship (2014).
• Bjork previously played for Interim Head Coach Don Granato during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons at the United States National Team Development Program.

DRAKE CAGGIULA

• The Sabres claimed forward Drake Caggiula off waivers April 9.
• In 249 career games with Edmonton, Chicago and Arizona, Caggiula has totaled 83 points (42+41).
• Caggiula set a career high in points (23) and tied his career high in assists (11) during the 2018-19 season with the Edmonton Oilers and Chicago Blackhawks.
• Caggiula played four years of collegiate hockey at the University of North Dakota where he totaled 127 points (62+65) in 162 games. He won the 2016 NCAA National Championship with the Fighting Hawks and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

KEEPIN’ IT 100

• Rasmus Dahlin’s assist on April 8 against New Jersey marked his 100th career NHL point.
• Dahlin (180 games played) is the second-fastest Sabres defenseman to reach the milestone after making his NHL debut with the team. He is second only to Phil Housley, who recorded his 100th point in his 106th game.
• Dahlin, who turned 21 on April 13, is now the youngest Swedish defenseman in NHL history and the second-youngest Sabres blueliner to reach 100 career points, trailing only Housley (19 years, 273 days).
• With the assist, Dahlin is now the first defenseman and third player from the 2018 NHL Draft to record 100 career points (Andrei Svechnikov, Brady Tkachuk).
• Dahlin’s career per-game output ranks him among the franchise’s top 15 defensemen in every major scoring category (min. 82 GP): .09 G/GP (12th), .46 A/GP (5th), .56 PTS/GP (5th).
• Dahlin’s power-play production positions him among the top 20 defensemen in franchise history with eight goals (T-16th), 40 assists (14th) and 48 points (15th).

ROAD TO 100 GAMES

• Victor Olofsson played his 100th career NHL game on April 9.
• Among players who have debuted with the Sabres, Olofsson’s 19 career power-play goals ties Gilbert Perreault and trails only Rick Martin (23) for the most power-play goals by a Sabre in a player’s first 100 NHL games.
• Since his NHL debut on March 28, 2019, Olofsson is third on the Sabres in goals (33) and points (70). He leads the team with 19 power-play goals and ranks second with 31 power-play points.
• Olofsson’s 19 power-play goals ties him for ninth in the NHL since his debut.
• His 0.69 points per game ranks sixth among players selected in the 2014 NHL Draft.

RISTO IN THE RECORD BOOK

• With his goal on April 6 at New Jersey, Rasmus Ristolainen took sole possession of the eighth-most goals by a defenseman in Sabres history. He now trails Richard Smehlik by one goal for seventh-most.
• Ristolainen’s first assist on Jan. 24 at Washington moved him past Jim Schoenfeld for the seventh-most career points recorded by a Sabres defenseman. He currently trails Bill Hajt by four points for sixth-most.
• Ristolainen holds the franchise record for most overtime goals by a defenseman (4) and is tied for ninth all-time among the team’s blueliners with six game-winning goals.
• Ristolainen’s career per-game output ranks him among the franchise’s top 15 defensemen in every major scoring category (min. 82 GP): .09 G/GP (14th), .37 A/GP (15th), .45 PTS/GP (11th)

SABRES AMONG LEAGUE-LEADERS (Sabres’ league rankings entering play Wednesday)

• Okposo: 2 SHP (T-10th)

SABRES REAL-TIME STATS LEADERS
Hits: Ristolainen (139), Miller (81), Dahlin (57)
Blocked Shots: Miller (44), Ristolainen (43), Irwin (41)
Shots: Olofsson (96), Reinhart (84), Dahlin/Skinner (79)

SABRES’ RECORD IN 10 GAME SEGMENTS [W-L-OTL (PTS), GF/GA, PP, PK] 1-10: 4-4-2 (10), 30/32, 12/39, 19/23
11-20: 2-7-1 (5), 16/28, 7/23, 18/23
21-30: 0-9-1 (1), 18/45, 0/14, 18/26
31-40: 3-5-2 (8), 28/35, 3/23, 28/34
41-50: 1-0-1 (3), 7/5, 0/6, 1/2

OVERTIME RESULTS (0-4; 126-138 all-time)
Jan. 28 vs. NYR: L, 3-2 (GWG-Lafrenière, 2:47)
Feb. 25 vs. NJD: L, 4-3 (GWG-Zacha, 1:17)
March 29 vs. PHI: L 4-3 (GWG-Provorov, 0:42)
April 1 vs. NYR: L 3-2 (GWG Zibanejad, 4:32)

SHOOTOUT RESULTS (3-3; 80-74 all-time)
Jan. 22 at WSH: L, 4-3 (GDG-Carlson)
Jan. 24 at WSH: W, 4-3 (GDG-Eichel)
Jan. 30 vs. NJD: W, 4-3 (GDG-Eichel)
March 9 at PHI: L 5-4 (GDG-Couturier)
April 3 vs. NYR: W 3-2 (GDG-Thompson)
April 13 at BOS: L 3-2 (GDG-Coyle)

MILESTONES APPROACHING (Player … Needs … Milestone)
Games Played
N/A
Goals
Rasmus Ristolainen … 1 goal … 47 career goals (T-7^th in franchise history, defensemen)
Kyle Okposo … 2 goals … 200 career goals
Assists
Rasmus Ristolainen … 6 assists … 200 career assists
Colin Miller … 8 assists … 100 career assists
Points
N/A

RECENT MILESTONES
Arttu Ruotsalainen … First NHL game … April 9 vs. WSH
Victor Olofsson … 100th NHL game… April 9 vs. WSH
Arttu Ruotsalainen … First NHL goal … April 11 at PHI

GAME-DAY RESOURCES

LAST GAME
Friday, April 9
Washington 4 at Buffalo 3
Goals: Jokiharju, Mittelstadt, Thompson
Goalie: Tokarski (29 saves/ 33 shots)
PP: 0/3; PK: 1/1; Shots: Washington 33 – Buffalo 33

CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 195)
Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
Zemgus Girgensons (hamstring, Jan. 14; injured reserve) – 40 games
William Borgen (forearm, Feb. 22; injured reserve) – 26 games
Jake McCabe (knee, Feb. 22; injured reserve) – 26 games
Jack Eichel (upper body, March 9; injured reserve) – 17 games
Carter Hutton (lower body, March 24) – 10 games
Dylan Cozens (upper body, March 31) – 6 games
Curtis Lazar (upper body, April 1; injured reserve) – 5 games

TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYS
4/5: Reassigned F Arttu Ruotsalainen from the Rochester Americans (AHL) to the taxi squad; Reassigned F Jean-Sebastien Dea to Rochester
4/6: Signed Linus Weissbach to a two-year, entry-level contract
4/7: Reassigned F C.J. Smith and D Brandon Davidson to the Rochester Americans (AHL)
4/8: Reassigned F C.J. Smith and D Brandon Davidson from the Rochester Americans (AHL) to the taxi squad
4/9: Claimed F Drake Caggiula off waivers; Recalled F Arttu Ruotsalainen from the taxi squad; Reassigned F Steven Fogarty to the taxi squad
4/10: Acquired a third-round pick from the Florida Panthers in exchange for D Brandon Montour; Reassigned F Jean-Sebastien Dea to the taxi squad; Loaned F Steven Fogarty to the Rochester Americans (AHL)

UPCOMING GAMES
Tuesday, April 13: Buffalo at Boston, 7 p.m.
Thursday, April 15: Buffalo at Washington, 7 p.m.
Saturday, April 17: Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 3 p.m.
Sunday, April 18: Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 3 p.m.
Tuesday, April 20: Boston at Buffalo, 6:30 p.m.

TONIGHT’S GAME
SABRES at FLYERS

• This is the eighth and final meeting between the Sabres and Flyers this season.
• Last meeting: Buffalo defeated Philadelphia 6-1 in Buffalo on March 31
• The Sabres are 2-6-2 in their last 10 games vs. the Flyers; 1-7-2 on the road.
• This is the 189th game all-time between Buffalo and Philadelphia; Buffalo has a 71-91-26 series record.
• The Sabres are 26-55-15 on the road against the Flyers all-time.

THIS DAY IN SABRES HISTORY

• The Sabres are 1-4-1 all-time on April 11 (regular season).
• April 11, 2001: Dominik Hasek makes 31 saves on 32 shots as the Sabres open the playoffs with a 2-1 win at Philadelphia.
• April 11, 2009: Thomas Vanek scores twice, reaching the 40-goal mark for the second time in his career, as the Sabres close the 2008-09 season with a 6-1 win at home against Boston.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW.

• The team that has scored first has won six of the seven games so far between the Sabres and Flyers this season.
• Buffalo is 16-for-17 on the penalty kill and has added two shorthanded goals for a plus-1 shorthanded goal differential against the Flyers this season. The team’s 94.1 penalty-kill percentage is its best rate against any opponent this season.
• Of the Sabres’ 28 individual multi-point performances this season, 11 have come against the Flyers.
• Sam Reinhart’s ten road goals this season are tied for fifth in the NHL.
• Kyle Okposo has nine points (2+7) in his last ten outings.
• Rasmus Dahlin (0.09, 13th) and Rasmus Ristolainen (0.09, 14th) both rank in the top 15 in goals-per-game in franchise history among defensemen who have played in at least 82 games.
• Following Thursday’s game, the Sabres were the least-penalized team in the NHL with 6:10 of penalty time per game. Buffalo has been assessed 247 total penalty minutes this season, 15 fewer than the closest team, the New Jersey Devils.

THREE’S COMPANY

• In the team’s last three games, the line of Rasmus Asplund, Casey Mittelstadt and Tage Tompson has skated together more than any other forward line at 5-on-5 (29:43). During that time, they have outshot their opponents 17-12, outscored opponents 2-0 and have a 60.6 expected-goals percentage at 5-on-5.
• All three players have scored during the three-game stretch – Asplund on April 6, Mittelstadt on April 6 and 9, and Thompson on April 8 and 9.
• Mittelstadt enters tomorrow’s game having recorded six points (4+2) in his last six games, the best six-game stretch of his career.
• With a point tomorrow, Thompson would extend his point streak to a career-best four games. If Thompson were to score in tomorrow’s contest, it would mark the first time in his career that he would have goals in three consecutive games.

HOT AGAINST THE FLYERS

• Sam Reinhart has five goals in seven games against Philadelphia this season.
• Rasmus Ristolainen leads the Sabres with 126 hits this season. His 36 hits against the Flyers is his highest total against a single opponent. Ristolainen set the teams single-game high with eight hits on Jan. 18 at Philadelphia.
• Kyle Okposo has recorded four assists in five contests against Philadelphia this season.
• Linus Ullmark is 1-0-1 with .926 save percentage and 2.49 goals against average against Philadelphia this season.

BULLYING THE BULLIES
Buffalo’s 6-1 win March 31 tied the Sabres’ second-best goal differential in their 188 regular-season matchups with the Flyers. It was the second time this season the Sabres defeated the Flyers 6-1. The only other time Buffalo scored six or more goals against Philadelphia at least twice in the same season was Oct. 17, 2006 and Feb. 20, 2007.

KEEPIN’ IT 100

• Rasmus Dahlin’s assist April 8 marked his 100th career NHL point.
• Dahlin (180 games played) is the second-fastest Sabres defenseman to reach the milestone after making his NHL debut with the team. He is second only to Phil Housley, who recorded his 100th point in his 106th game.
• Dahlin, who turns 21 on April 13, is now the youngest Swedish defenseman in NHL history and the second-youngest Sabres blueliner to reach 100 career points, trailing only Housley (19 years, 273 days).
• With the assist, Dahlin is now the first defenseman and third player from the 2018 NHL Draft to record 100 career points (Andrei Svechnikov, Brady Tkachuk).
• Dahlin’s career per-game output ranks him among the franchise’s top 15 defensemen in every major scoring category (min. 82 GP): .09 G/GP (13th), .47 A/GP (5th), .56 PTS/GP (5th).
• Dahlin’s power-play production positions him among the top 20 defensemen in franchise history with eight goals (T-16th), 40 assists (14th) and 48 points (15th).

ROAD TO 100 GAMES

• Victor Olofsson played his 100th career NHL game on April 9.
• Among players who have debuted with the Sabres, Olofsson’s 19 career power-play goals ties Gilbert Perreault and trails only Rick Martin (23) for the most power-play goals by a Sabre in a player’s first 100 NHL games.
• Since his NHL debut on March 28, 2019, Olofsson is third on the Sabres in goals (33) and points (69) He leads the team with 19 power-play goals and ranks second with 31 power-play points.
• Olofsson’s 19 power-play goals ties him for fifth in the NHL since his debut.
• His 0.69 points per game ranks sixth among players selected in the 2014 NHL Draft.

BRICK WALL

• Among goaltenders who have played at least 10 games this season, Ullmark ranks sixth in the NHL with a .935 5-on-5 save percentage.*
• Ullmark ranks ninth in the NHL at goals saved above average at 5-on-5 (7.35).*
• His .862 save percentage when facing high-danger chances at 5-on-5 ranks seventh in the league (min. 10 GP).*

*Stats courtesy of NaturalStatTrick.com

RISTO IN THE RECORD BOOK

• With his goal on April 6 at New Jersey, Rasmus Ristolainen took sole possession of the eighth-most goals by a defenseman in Sabres history. He now trails Richard Smehlik by one goal for seventh-most.
• Ristolainen’s first assist on Jan. 24 at Washington moved him past Jim Schoenfeld for the seventh-most career points recorded by a Sabres defenseman. He currently trails Bill Hajt by four points for sixth-most.
• Ristolainen holds the franchise record for most overtime goals by a defenseman (4) and is tied for ninth all-time among the team’s blueliners with six game-winning goals.
• Ristolainen’s career per-game output ranks him among the franchise’s top 15 defensemen in every major scoring category (min. 82 GP): .09 G/GP (14th), .37 A/GP (14th), .46 PTS/GP (11th)

BUF-PHI CONNECTIONS

• Sabres forward Cody Eakin won a gold medal with Claude Giroux while representing Canada at the 2015 IIHF World Championship.
• Sabres forward Jeff Skinner played for Team Canada with Flyers forward Claude Giroux at the 2013 IIHF World Championship.
• Sabres forward Sam Reinhart won a gold medal for Team Canada with Flyers assistant coach Mike Yeo, who was one of the team’s assistant coaches, at the 2016 IIHF World Championship.
• Sabres forward Sam Reinhart and Flyers forward Scott Laughton played for Team Canada at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship.
• Sabres forward Victor Olofsson played for Team Sweden at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship with Flyers forward Oskar Lindblom and Flyers defenseman Robert Hagg.

SABRES AMONG LEAGUE-LEADERS (Sabres’ league rankings entering play Saturday)

• Okposo: 2 SHP (T-9th)

SABRES REAL-TIME STATS LEADERS
Hits: Ristolainen (126), Miller (76), Lazar (64)
Blocked Shots: Miller (39), Ristolainen (39), Irwin (38)
Shots: Olofsson (91), Hall (88), Reinhart (79)

SABRES’ RECORD IN 10 GAME SEGMENTS [W-L-OTL (PTS), GF/GA, PP, PK] 1-10: 4-4-2 (10), 30/32, 12/39, 19/23
11-20: 2-7-1 (5), 16/28, 7/23, 18/23
21-30: 0-9-1 (1), 18/45, 0/14, 18/26
31-40: 3-5-2 (8), 28/35, 3/23, 28/34

OVERTIME RESULTS (0-4; 126-138 all-time)
Jan. 28 vs. NYR: L, 3-2 (GWG-Lafrenière, 2:47)
Feb. 25 vs. NJD: L, 4-3 (GWG-Zacha, 1:17)
March 29 vs. PHI: L 4-3 (GWG-Provorov, 0:42)
April 1 vs. NYR: L 3-2 (GWG Zibanejad, 4:32)

SHOOTOUT RESULTS (3-2; 80-73 all-time)
Jan. 22 at WSH: L, 4-3 (GDG-Carlson)
Jan. 24 at WSH: W, 4-3 (GDG-Eichel)
Jan. 30 vs. NJD: W, 4-3 (GDG-Eichel)
March 9 at PHI: L 5-4 (GDG-Couturier)
April 3 vs. NYR: W 3-2 (GDG-Thompson)

MILESTONES APPROACHING (Player … Needs … Milestone)
Games Played
N/A

Goals
Rasmus Ristolainen … 1 goal … 47 career goals (T-7^th in franchise history, defensemen)
Kyle Okposo … 2 goals … 200 career goals

Assists
Rasmus Ristolainen … 6 assists … 200 career assists
Colin Miller … 8 assists … 100 career assists

Points
N/A

RECENT MILESTONES
Rasmus Dahlin … 100 career points … April 8 vs. NJD
Arttu Ruotsalainen … 1st NHL game … April 9 vs. WSH
Victor Olofsson … 100 games played … April 9 vs. WSH

GAME-DAY RESOURCES

LAST GAME
Thursday, April 8
New Jersey 6 at Buffalo 3
Goals: Olofsson, Thompson, Skinner
Goalie: Ullmark (32 saves/37 shots); 1 ENG
PP: 1/3; PK: 2/4; Shots: New Jersey 38 – Buffalo 27

CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 188)
Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
Zemgus Girgensons (hamstring, Jan. 14; injured reserve) – 39 games
William Borgen (forearm, Feb. 22; injured reserve) – 25 games
Jake McCabe (knee, Feb. 22; injured reserve) – 25 games
Jack Eichel (upper body, March 9; injured reserve) – 16 games
Carter Hutton (lower body, March 24) – 9 games
Dylan Cozens (upper body, March 31) – 5 games
Curtis Lazar (upper body, April 1; injured reserve) – 5 games

TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYS
4/3: Reassigned F C.J. Smith and D Brandon Davidson from the Rochester Americans (AHL) to the taxi squad
4/5: Reassigned F Arttu Ruotsalainen from the Rochester Americans (AHL) to the taxi squad; Reassigned F Jean-Sebastien Dea to Rochester
4/6: Signed Linus Weissbach to a two-year, entry-level contract
4/7: Reassigned F C.J. Smith and D Brandon Davidson to the Rochester Americans (AHL)
4/8: Reassigned F C.J. Smith and D Brandon Davidson from the Rochester Americans (AHL) to the taxi squad
4/9: Claimed F Drake Caggiuls off waivers
4/9: Recalled F Arttu Ruotsalainen from the taxi squad; Reassigned F Steven Fogarty to the taxi squad

UPCOMING GAMES
Sunday, April 11: Buffalo at Philadelphia, 2 p.m.
Tuesday, April 13: Buffalo at Boston, 7 p.m.
Thursday, April 15: Buffalo at Washington, 7 p.m.
Saturday, April 17: Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 3 p.m.
Sunday, April 18: Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 3 p.m.

TONIGHT’S GAME
CAPITALS at SABRES

• This is the seventh of eight meetings between the Sabres and Capitals this season.
• Last meeting: Washington defeated Buffalo 6-0 in Buffalo on March 15
• Next meeting: Thursday, April 15 in Washington
• The Sabres are 3-6-1 in their last 10 games vs. the Capitals; 4-6-0 at home.
• This is the 170th game all-time between Buffalo and Washington; Buffalo has a 91-56-22 series record.
• The Sabres are 49-26-9 at home against the Capitals all-time.

THIS DATE IN SABRES HISTORY

• The Sabres are 5-3-1 all-time on April 9.
• April 9, 1980: Bob Sauve records the first playoff shutout in franchise history with a 6-0 win vs. Vancouver.
• April 9, 1988: John Tucker sets a franchise playoff record with four goals in a 6-2 win vs. Boston.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

• Buffalo has a plus-10 penalty differential (21 drawn/11 taken) against the Capitals this season.
• Victor Olofsson has recorded five points (3+2) against the Capitals this season.
• Dustin Tokarski is 1-0-1 with a .935 save percentage and 1.86 goals against average in his career against the Capitals.
• Rasmus Ristolainen has seven points (1+6) in his last ten games against the Capitals dating back to the 2018-19 season.
• Brandon Montour (0.12, 7th), Rasmus Dahlin (0.09, 13th) and Rasmus Ristolainen (0.09, 14th) all rank in the top 15 in goals-per-game in franchise history among defensemen who have played in at least 82 games.
• Kyle Okposo has nine points (2+7) in his last nine outings.
• Casey Mittelstadt has totaled five points (3+2) and a plus-three rating in his last five games.
• Brandon Montour has five points (4+1) and 17 shots in his last six contests.
• Following Thursday’s game, the Sabres were the least-penalized team in the NHL with 6:16 of penalty time per game. Buffalo has been assessed 245 total penalty minutes this season, nine fewer than the closest team, the New Jersey Devils.

SEASON SERIES
Tonight’s game is the seventh of eight meetings between the Sabres and Capitals this season. The Sabres are 1-4-1 through the first six. Washington has won five of the first six games despite the Sabres having the edge in underlying 5-on-5 metrics:

(All data courtesy of NaturalStatTrick.com)

KEEPIN’ IT 100

• Rasmus Dahlin’s assist last night marked his 100th career NHL point.
• Dahlin (180 games played) is the second-fastest Sabres defenseman to reach the milestone after making his NHL debut with the team. He is second only to Phil Housley, who recorded his 100th point in his 106th game.
• Dahlin, who turns 21 on April 13, is now the youngest Swedish defenseman in NHL history and the second-youngest Sabres blueliner to reach 100 career points, trailing only Housley (19 years, 273 days).
• With the assist, Dahlin is now the first defenseman and third player from the 2018 NHL Draft to record 100 career points (Andrei Svechnikov, Brady Tkachuk).
• Dahlin’s career per-game output ranks him among the franchise’s top 15 defensemen in every major scoring category (min. 82 GP): .09 G/GP (13th), .47 A/GP (5th), .56 PTS/GP (5th).
• Dahlin’s power-play production positions him among the top 20 defensemen in franchise history with eight goals (T-16th), 40 assists (14th) and 48 points (15th).

ROAD TO 100 GAMES

• If he dresses, tonight will be Victor Olofsson’s 100th career NHL game.
• Among players who have debuted with the Sabres, Olofsson’s 19 career power-play goals ties Gilbert Perreault and trails only Rick Martin (23) for the most power-play goals by a Sabre in a player’s first 100 NHL games.
• Since his NHL debut on March 28, 2019, Olofsson is third on the Sabres in goals (33) and points (69) He leads the team with 19 power-play goals and ranks second with 31 power-play points.
• Olofsson’s 19 power-play goals ties him for fifth in the NHL since his debut.
• His 0.70 points per game ranks sixth among players selected in the 2014 NHL Draft.

BRICK WALL

• Among goaltenders who have played at least 10 games this season, Ullmark ranks seventh in the NHL with a .935 5-on-5 save percentage.*
• Ullmark ranks ninth in the NHL at goals saved above average at 5-on-5 (7.25).*
• His .862 save percentage when facing high-danger chances at 5-on-5 ranks seventh in the league (min. 10 GP).*

*Stats courtesy of NaturalStatTrick.com

BACK-TO-BACK
Tonight’s game wraps up Buffalo’s 11th of 14 sets of back-to-back games this season, which began with a 6-3 loss last night against New Jersey. The Sabres are 3-8-0 in the first game of back-to-back sets and 1-8-1 in the second game so far this season. Buffalo’s point breakdown in previous back-to-back sets is: four points (0), three points (1), two points (3), one point (0) and zero points (6).

RISTO IN THE RECORD BOOK

• With his goal on April 6 at New Jersey, Rasmus Ristolainen took sole possession of the eighth-most goals by a defenseman in Sabres history. He now trails Richard Smehlik by one goal for seventh-most.
• Ristolainen’s first assist on Jan. 24 at Washington moved him past Jim Schoenfeld for the seventh-most career points recorded by a Sabres defenseman. He currently trails Bill Hajt by six points for sixth-most.
• Ristolainen holds the franchise record for most overtime goals by a defenseman (4) and is tied for ninth all-time among the team’s blueliners with six game-winning goals.
• Ristolainen’s career per-game output ranks him among the franchise’s top 15 defensemen in every major scoring category (min. 82 GP): .09 G/GP (12th), .37 A/GP (15th), .45 PTS/GP (11th)

BUF-WSH CONNECTIONS

• Capitals assistant coach Scott Arniel played for the Sabres for four seasons (1986-87 to 1989-90), recording 138 points (64+74) in 295 games. He would later serve as an assistant coach for the team for three seasons (2002-03 to 2003-04 and 2005-06).
• Capitals forward Conor Sheary played parts of two seasons (2018-19 to 2019-20) with the Sabres, totaling 53 points (23+30) in 133 games with the team.
• Sabres forward Cody Eakin was drafted by Washington in the third round (85th overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft. He played one season (2011-12) for the Capitals, recording eight points (4+4) in 30 games.
• Sabres General Manager Kevyn Adams became the second player in league history born in D.C. to play in the NHL.
• Sabres General Manager Kevyn Adams won the 2006 Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes when Capitals Head Coach Peter Laviolette was the head coach of the team. Capitals assistant coach Kevin McCarthy was also on Laviolette’s staff during this time.
• Sabres forwards Taylor Hall and Jeff Skinner played for Canada’s national team at the 2013 IIHF World Championship with Capitals defensemen Brenden Dillon and Justin Schultz.
• Sabres defensemen Matt Irwin and Colin Miller both played with Capitals defenseman Zdeno Chara in Boston, Irwin in 2015-16 and Miller from 2015-16 to 2016-17.
• Sabres forward Kyle Okposo and Capitals forward J. Oshie have played for Team USA together twice – at the 2009 and 2010 IIFH World Championships.
• Sabres forward Tage Thompson won a bronze medal for Team USA with Capitals defenseman Nick Jensen at the 2018 IIHF World Championship.

SABRES AMONG LEAGUE-LEADERS (Sabres’ league rankings following Thursday’s game)

• Montour: 2 SHG (T-3rd), 2 SHP (T-8th); Okposo: 2 SHP (T-8th)

SABRES REAL-TIME STATS LEADERS
Hits: Ristolainen (120), Miller (74), Lazar (64)
Blocked Shots: Montour (50), Miller (39), Irwin (38)
Shots: Olofsson (89), Hall (88), Reinhart (76)

SABRES’ RECORD IN 10 GAME SEGMENTS [W-L-OTL (PTS), GF/GA, PP, PK] 1-10: 4-4-2 (10), 30/32, 12/39, 19/23
11-20: 2-7-1 (5), 16/28, 7/23, 18/23
21-30: 0-9-1 (1), 18/45, 0/14, 18/26
31-40: 3-4-2 (8), 25/31, 3/20, 27/33

OVERTIME RESULTS (0-4; 126-138 all-time)
Jan. 28 vs. NYR: L, 3-2 (GWG-Lafrenière, 2:47)
Feb. 25 vs. NJD: L, 4-3 (GWG-Zacha, 1:17)
March 29 vs. PHI: L 4-3 (GWG-Provorov, 0:42)
April 1 vs. NYR: L 3-2 (GWG Zibanejad, 4:32)

SHOOTOUT RESULTS (3-2; 80-73 all-time)
Jan. 22 at WSH: L, 4-3 (GDG-Carlson)
Jan. 24 at WSH: W, 4-3 (GDG-Eichel)
Jan. 30 vs. NJD: W, 4-3 (GDG-Eichel)
March 9 at PHI: L 5-4 (GDG-Couturier)
April 3 vs. NYR: W 3-2 (GDG-Thompson)

MILESTONES APPROACHING (Player … Needs … Milestone)
Games Played
Victor Olofsson … 1 game played … 100 games played

Goals
Rasmus Ristolainen … 1 goal … 47 career goals (T-7^th in franchise history, defensemen)
Kyle Okposo … 2 goals … 200 career goals

Assists
Rasmus Ristolainen … 8 assists … 200 career assists
Colin Miller … 8 assists … 100 career assists 

RECENT MILESTONES
Rasmus Dahlin … 100 career points … April 8 vs. NJD