STAFF REPORTS
Game Notes:
LAST GAME
Thursday, October 4
Boston 4 at Buffalo 0
Goals: N/A
Goalie: Hutton (22 saves/25 shots); 1 ENG
PP: 0/2; PK: 0/1; Shots: Buffalo 32 – Boston 26
CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 5)
Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
Zach Bogosian (lower body, Oct. 4) – 1 game
Matt Hunwick (neck, Oct. 4; injured reserve) – 1 game
Johan Larsson (lower body, Oct. 4; injured reserve) – 1 game
Sean Malone (knee, Oct. 4; injured reserve) – 1 game
Scott Wilson (ankle, Oct. 4; injured reserve) – 1 game
TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYS
9/29: Assigned D Lawrence Pilut to Rochester (AHL)
9/30: Assigned F Justin Bailey and F Nicholas Baptiste to Rochester (AHL)
10/1: Acquired D Jack Dougherty from Nashville in exchange for F Nicholas Baptiste; Assigned D Jack Dougherty, F Alexander Nylander, D Brendan Guhle and D Brandon Hickey to Rochester (AHL)
10/2: Claimed F Remi Elie off waivers from Dallas; Placed F Johan Larsson, F Sean Malone, F Scott Wilson and D Matt Hunwick on IR
UPCOMING GAMES
Monday, Oct. 8: Vegas at Buffalo, 3 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 11: Colorado at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 13: Buffalo at Arizona, 9 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 16: Buffalo at Vegas, 10 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 18: Buffalo at San Jose, 10:30 p.m.
TONIGHT’S GAME
RANGERS at SABRES
This is the first of three meetings between the Sabres and Rangers this season.
Next meeting: Sunday, Nov. 4 in New York
Last meeting: New York defeated Buffalo 4-3 in New York on March 24
The Sabres are 3-5-2 in their last 10 games vs. the Rangers; 2-5-3 at home
This is the 181st game all-time between Buffalo and New York; Buffalo has an 81-64-35 series record.
The Sabres are 48-28-15 at home against the Rangers all-time.
THIS DAY IN SABRES HISTORY
The Sabres are 3-4-0 all-time on October 6.
October 6, 1982: Dave Andreychuk and Paul Cyr each score their first NHL goals while making their NHL debuts vs. Quebec.
October 6, 1986: The Sabres acquire Clark Gillies from the New York Islanders and Wilf Paiement from the New York Rangers in the NHL Waiver Draft.
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
Tonight’s game is the second of a four-game home stand. The four games mark the longest home stretch to open a season in franchise history. The previous longest was three games (1975-76 and 2015-16).
Carter Hutton is 3-0-0 in his career against New York, boasting a .953 save percentage and a 1.45 goals-against average in those games.
Kyle Okposo has totaled 20 points (5+15) in his last 17 games against the Rangers, including five points (1+4) in three games against New York last season.
Jack Eichel has nine points (3+6) in nine career games against the Rangers.
Sam Reinhart has recorded eight points (3+5) in eight career games against New York, including points (2+2) in all three meetings in 2017-18.
Rasmus Ristolainen tallied three points (2+1) in three games and Vladimir Sobotka had three assists in two games against the Rangers last season.
CAPTAIN JACK
After being named captain on Wednesday, Jack Eichel became the 19th full-season captain in franchise history and the 28th player to wear the captain’s “C” for at least a one-month period for the Sabres.
At 21 years of age, Eichel is the youngest captain in Sabres history, passing Jim Schoenfeld, who served as the team’s captain as a 23-year-old in the 1975-76 season.
WELCOME TO BUFFALO
The Sabres had eight new players on their opening-day roster this season:
Patrik Berglund, C
Trade (STL)
BUHRG-luhnd
Went 55.1% on faceoffs in his 10th season with St. Louis in 2017-18.
Rasmus Dahlin, D
Draft (1st Overall)
dah-LEEN
Named Swedish Junior Player of the Year (SHL) in 2017-18.
Remi Elie, LW
Waivers (DAL)
EH-lee
Set NHL highs in every major category in 72 games in 2017-18.
Carter Hutton, G
Free Agency
HUH-tuhn
Led NHL in SV% (.931) and GAA (2.09) with St. Louis in 2017-18.
Conor Sheary, LW
Trade (PIT)
SHAIR-ee
Two-time Stanley Cup Champion (2016 and 2017) with Pittsburgh.
Jeff Skinner, LW
Trade (CAR)
SKIH-nuhr
Ranks sixth in the NHL with 143 5-on-5 goals since entering the league in 2010-11.
Vladimir Sobotka, C
Trade (STL)
suh-BOHT-kuh
Set career-high totals in GP (81), G (11) and GWG (4) in 2017-18.
Tage Thompson, C
Trade (STL)
TAHMP-suhn
Made his NHL debut with St. Louis in 2017-18.
A NEW LOOK
Seven players made their Sabres regular-season debuts on Thursday vs. Boston: Patrik Berglund, Rasmus Dahlin, Carter Hutton, Conor Sheary, Jeff Skinner, Vladimir Sobotka and Tage Thompson
It marked the second-most new players the Sabres have ever dressed in a season-opener, trailing only the nine players who made their Sabres debuts on Oct. 10, 2015 vs. TBL (Carlo Colaiacovo, Jack Eichel, Cody Franson, Chad Johnson, Evander Kane, David Legwand, Robin Lehner, Jamie McGinn and Ryan O’Reilly).
Only 10 of the 20 Sabres players who dressed for the first game of the 2017-18 season appeared on the team’s 2018-19 opening day roster.
Only six players on this year’s opening day roster suited up for the team in the season-opener two years ago: Zach Bogosian, Zemgus Girgensons, Jake McCabe, Casey Nelson, Sam Reinhart, Rasmus Ristolainen
A FRESH FACE
On Thursday vs. Boston, Rasmus Dahlin (18 years, 175 days) became the second-youngest player ever to appear in a game with the Sabres, behind only fellow No. 1 pick Pierre Turgeon (18 years, 41 days on Oct. 8, 1987 vs. MNS).
Dahlin skated 22:37 in his debut, trailing only Rasmus Ristolainen (24:12) for the night. It was the highest ice time recorded by a Sabres player making his NHL debut and the 21st-highest ice time by any NHL player in their first game since the league began tracking ice time in the 1997-98 season.
2018 PRESEASON
Buffalo finished the preseason with a 3-4-0 record; 1-2-0 at home and 2-2-0 on the road.
Alex Nylander led all Sabres with five points (1+4) in five preseason games. Four other players also registered point-per-game totals: Jack Eichel (3 GP, 1+3), Sam Reinhart (3 GP, 1+3), Andrew Oglevie (3 GP, 2+1) and Sean Malone (1 GP, 0+1).
Jeff Skinner led the team with three goals in four preseason games.
2018-19 ROSTER NOTES
Of the 23 players on Buffalo’s opening night roster:
Nine were originally drafted by the Sabres — six were first-round selections (Girgensons, 2012; Ristolainen, 2013; Reinhart, 2014; Eichel, 2015; Mittelstadt, 2017; Dahlin, 2018), two were second-round picks (Pominville, 2001; McCabe, 2012) and one was a sixth-round pick (Ullmark, 2012).
Nine were acquired in trades: Beaulieu, Berglund, Bogosian, Pominville, Scandella, Sheary, Skinner, Sobotka, Thompson
Five were signed as free agents: Hutton, Nelson, Okposo, Rodrigues, Tennyson
One was acquired via waivers: Elie
Fifteen played in Buffalo at some point last season: Beaulieu, Bogosian, Eichel, Girgensons, McCabe, Mittelstadt, Nelson, Okposo, Pominville, Reinhart, Ristolainen, Rodrigues, Scandella, Tennyson, Ullmark
Eight are new to the Sabres this season: Berglund, Dahlin, Elie, Hutton, Sheary, Skinner, Sobotka, Thompson
Four opened the season on an NHL roster for the first time in their careers: Dahlin, Elie, Mittelstadt, Ullmark
BUF-NYR CONNECTIONS
Former Sabres:
Rangers assistant coach Lindy Ruff is a former player and head coach for the Sabres. He spent 10 seasons (1979-89) in a Sabres sweater and was the team’s head coach from 1997 to 2013, earning two Jack Adams Award nominations (2006, 2007) and winning once (2006).
Rangers assistant general manager Jim Schoenfeld was drafted in the first round (5th overall) by the Sabres in the 1972 NHL Draft and would spend 11 seasons (1972-1982, 1984-1985) with the club. Schoenfeld, a former captain and a two-time NHL All-Star, was inducted into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame in 1996.
Rangers assistant coach Greg Brown was selected by the Sabres in the second round (26th overall) of the 1986 NHL Draft and played parts of two seasons (1990-91, 1992-93) with the club.
BU Connection:
Jack Eichel and Evan Rodrigues both played for Boston University when Rangers Head Coach David Quinn was the head coach of the Terriers, a team that won the 2015 Beanpot, made it to the Frozen Four and played in the National Championship game.
Patrik Berglund played with Rangers D Kevin Shattenkirk in St. Louis from 2010 to 2017
Jason Botterill Played in Buffalo when Rangers Assistant Coach Lindy Ruff was the head coach of the Sabres. Was a scout for the Stars when Rangers Assistant Coach David Oliver was playing in Dallas
Phil Housley: Played with Rangers General Manager Jim Schoenfeld and Assistant Coach Lindy Ruff in Buffalo Played for the Sabres when Rangers General Manager Jim Schoenfeld was the head coach in Buffalo and again when he was the head coach in Washington. Was an assistant coach in Nashville when Rangers F Cody McLeod played for the Predators
Carter Hutton: Played with Rangers D Kevin Shattenkirk in St. Louis from 2016 to 2017
Jake McCabe: Played for the United States at the 2016 IIHF World Championship in Russia when Rangers Head Coach David Quinn was an assistant coach for the team
Kyle Okposo: Played for the United States at the 2012 IIHF World Championship in Finland and Sweden when Rangers Head Coach David Quinn was an assistant coach for the team.
Davis Payne:
Was the head coach of the Blues when Rangers D Kevin Shattenkirk was playing in St. Louis
Played for the Bruins when Rangers General Manager Jeff Gorton was the director of scouting in Boston
Jeff Skinner: Played for Team Canada at the 2013 IIHF World Championship in Slovakia when Rangers Assistant Coach Lindy Ruff was the head coach of the team.
Vladimir Sobotka: Played with Rangers D Adam McQuaid in Boston from 2009 to 2011
Played with Rangers D Kevin Shattenkirk in St. Louis from 2010 to 2017
Scott Wilson:
Played with Rangers D Brendan Smith at Detroit in 2017
SABRES REAL-TIME STATS LEADERS
Hits: Ristolainen (5), McCabe (4), Berglund/Girgensons (3)
Blocked Shots: Ristolainen/Skinner (2), Berglund/Eichel/McCabe/Nelson (1)
Shots: Scandella (5), Eichel (4), Pominville/Reinhart (3)
SABRES’ RECORD IN 10 GAME SEGMENTS [W-L-OTL (PTS), GF/GA, PP, PK]
1-10: 0-1-0 (0), 0/4, 0/2, 0/1
