Sabres Game Preview: 10/8/18 vs. Vegas

STAFF REPORTS

• This is the first of two meetings between the Sabres and Golden Knights this season.
• Next meeting: Tuesday, Oct. 16 in Vegas
• Last meeting: Vegas defeated Buffalo 2-1 (OT) in Buffalo on March 10
• This is the fourth game all-time between Buffalo and Vegas; Buffalo has a 0-0-2 series record.
• The Sabres are 0-0-1 at home against the Golden Knights all-time.

• The Sabres are 4-6-3 all-time on October 8.
• October 8, 1972: Tim Horton makes his Sabres debut in a 5-3 win at home against the Atlanta Flames.
• October 8, 1992: Dominik Hasek makes his first Sabres appearance, starting in the team’s season-opener at home, a 5-4 loss to the Quebec Nordiques.

• Today’s game is the third 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).
• Buffalo went 0-0-2 against Vegas in their inaugural season in 2017-18 and will look to extend that point streak to three games with a win today.
• The Sabres have three players who registered at least a point per game against the Golden Knights in 2017-18: Jack Eichel (1 GP, 0+2), Jason Pominville (2 GP, 0+2), Jeff Skinner (2 GP, 0+2)
• Carter Hutton stopped 32 of 33 shots (.970 SV%) to earn the win in his only meeting with the Golden Knights last season.
• After his eighth career two-goal game on Saturday night vs. NY Rangers, Conor Sheary now has five goals in his last seven games dating back to last season.

• The Sabres earned their first win of the season with a 3-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Saturday night at KeyBank Center.
• Carter Hutton led the way for the Sabres with 43 saves, marking the second most saves of his career, trailing only his 48-save shutout on Dec. 16, 2017 vs. Winnipeg.
• Conor Sheary scored his first two goals as a member of the Sabres, tallying twice on the power play. His teams are now 8-0-0 in his career when he scores two goals and 18-1-1 when he records at least two points.
• Jack Eichel recorded two points (1+1) and skated a career-high 25:45, topping his previous high of 24:23 on Feb. 18, 2017 vs. St. Louis.

• 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.

• 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).
• With his Sabres debut on Saturday vs. NY Rangers, Remi Elie became the eighth new player to dress for the Sabres this season.
• 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

• 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.

• 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

• Golden Knights F William Carrier was spent three seasons (2014-2017) with the Sabres organization. He played in 41 games and recorded eight points (3+5).
• Golden Knights D Brayden McNabb was selected by Buffalo in the third round (66th overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft. He spent parts of two seasons (2011-12, 2013-14) with the team, appearing in 37 games and notching eight points (1+7).

• Played with Golden Knights F Max Pacioretty in Montreal

• Played with Golden Knights D Brad Hunt, F Ryan Reaves and F Paul Stastny in St. Louis

• Was the assistant general manager for the Penguins when Golden Knights assistant coach Ryan Craig, D Deryk Engelland and G Marc-Andre Fleury were playing in Pittsburgh

• Played on Team North America during the 2016 World Cup of Hockey when Golden Knights Head Coach Gerard Gallant was an assistant coach for the team

• Played for the Capitals when Golden Knights General Manager George McPhee held the same role in Washington

• Played in Washington when Golden Knights General Manager George McPhee was the vice president of hockey operations for the Capitals
• Was an assistant coach for the Predators when Golden Knights D Brad Hunt was playing in Nashville

• Played for the Islanders when Golden Knights General Manager George McPhee and Head Coach Gerard Gallant were a part of the front office in New York

• Was on the coaching staff in Los Angeles when Golden Knights D Brayden McNabb played for the Kings
• Was the head coach of the Blues when Golden Knights F Ryan Reaves played in St. Louis

• Played with Golden Knights F Erik Haula and F Alex Tuch in Minnesota

• Played with Golden Knights G Marc-Andre Fleury and F Ryan Reaves in Pittsburgh

• Played with Golden Knights assistant coach Ryan McGill for the Chicago Blackhawks from 1991-1992
• Was the assistant coach in Edmonton when Golden Knights D Brad Hunt was playing for the Oilers

• Played with Golden Knights D Brad Hunt, F Ryan Reaves and F Paul Stastny in St. Louis

• Played with Golden Knights F Ryan Carpenter in San Jose

• Played with Golden Knights F Paul Stastny in St. Louis

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