Sabres at Rangers game preview

CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 56)Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missedMatt Hunwick (neck, Oct. 4; injured reserve) – 14 games
Sean Malone (knee, Oct. 4; injured reserve) – 14 games
Scott Wilson (ankle, Oct. 4; injured reserve) – 14 games

TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYSN/A

UPCOMING GAMESThursday, Nov. 8: Buffalo at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 10: Vancouver at Buffalo, 1 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 13: Tampa Bay at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 16: Buffalo at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 17: Buffalo at Minnesota, 6 p.m.

TONIGHT’S GAMESABRES at RANGERS

• This is the second of three meetings between the Sabres and Rangers this season.
• Last meeting: Buffalo defeated New York 3-1 in New York on Oct. 6
• Next meeting: Friday, Feb. 15 in Buffalo
• The Sabres are 4-4-2 in their last 10 games vs. the Rangers; 3-6-1 on the road
• This is the 182nd game all-time between Buffalo and New York; Buffalo has an 82-64-35 series record.
• The Sabres are 33-36-20 on the road against the Rangers all-time.

THIS DAY IN SABRES HISTORY

• The Sabres are 5-8-4 all-time on November 4.
• November 4, 1999: Curtis Brown records three points (1+2), including an overtime goal, as the Sabres top the Blackhawks 5-4 at United Center.
• November 4, 2009: Derek Roy goes 14-for-14 on faceoffs and tallies the game-winning goal in a 3-0 win at home against the Islanders.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

• Jack Eichel has points in each of his last four road games, totaling eight assists in those games.
• Carter Hutton is 4-0-0 in his career against New York, boasting a .960 save percentage and a 1.35 goals-against average in those games.
• Kyle Okposo has totaled 20 points (5+15) in his last 18 games against the Rangers, including five points (1+4) in four games against New York since the beginning of last season.
• Jack Eichel has 11 points (4+7) in 10 career games against the Rangers.
• Sam Reinhart has recorded nine points (3+6) in nine career games against New York, including points (2+3) in each of the last four meetings.
• Rasmus Ristolainen tallied four points (2+2) in four games and Vladimir Sobotka had three assists in two games against the Rangers last season.

THREE’S COMPANYFollowing yesterday’s 9-2 win vs. Ottawa, Buffalo’s top line of Jeff Skinner, Jason Pominville and Jack Eichel ranked as the top three scorers in the NHL since the trio began playing together as a line on Oct. 20 at Los Angeles. In those seven games, Skinner (8+5) and Pominville (7+6) have totaled 13 points each, and Eichel has recorded 12 points (1+11).
WELCOME TO POMINVILLE

• Jason Pominville enters tonight’s game on a seven-game point streak, during which he has totaled 13 points (7+6) and averaged 16:48 of ice time per game. It’s his first seven-game point streak since March 9 to 20, 2014 (4+4).
• After yesterday’s game, the streak tied as the eighth-longest active point streak in the NHL.
• A point tonight would give him points in eight straight contests for the first time since March 17 to April 3, 2009, when he posted 13 points (3+10) in eight games.

WHAT’S THE SKINNY?

• Jeff Skinner has 16 points (9+7) in his last 10 games. It ranks as the best 10-game stretch in his career.
• All but two of Skinner’s goals have come at even strength this season. He finished yesterday’s game tied for first in the league with a plus-10 rating, tied for sixth with six even-strength goals and tied for eighth with nine total goals.

BACK-TO-BACKToday’s game wraps Buffalo’s second of 16 sets of back-to-back games this season, which began yesterday with a 9-2 win vs. Ottawa. The Sabres are 2-0-0 in the first game of back-to-back sets and 1-0-0 in the second game so far this season. Buffalo’s point breakdown in their previous back-to-back sets is: four points (1), three points (0), two points (0), one point (0) and zero points (0).
SABRES AMONG LEAGUE-LEADERS (Sabres’ league rankings after yesterday’s game)

• Eichel: 13 A (T-3rd), 13 EVP (T-5th), 57 S (T-5th), 17 PTS (T-8th)
• Hutton: 292 SV (8th)
• Pominville: 7 EVG (T-6th), 12 EVP (T-8th)
• Ristolainen: 38 hits (T-7th), 25:10 TOI/GP (8th)
• Skinner: plus-12 (T-1st), 7 EVG (T-6th), 9 G (T-8th)
• Ullmark: 1 SO (T-3rd), 2.00 GAA (7th)

BUF-NYR CONNECTIONSFormer 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.

Patrik Berglund:

• Played with Rangers D Kevin Shattenkirk in St. Louis.
• Has represented Sweden with Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist on two occasions: at the 2014 Olympic Games, where Sweden won a silver medal, and at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

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.

Jack Eichel:

• 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.
• Played for Team USA with Rangers D Brady Skjei at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship.
• Won a bronze medal for the United States with Rangers D Tony DeAngelo at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Remi Elie:

• Played in Dallas when Rangers assistant coach Lindy Ruff was the head coach of the Stars.

Phil Housley:

• Played with Rangers General Manager Jim Schoenfeld and assistant coach Lindy Ruff in Buffalo.
• Played for the Sabers 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.
• Coached Rangers F Jimmy Vesey at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship, where the United States won a gold medal.

Carter Hutton:

• Played with Rangers D Kevin Shattenkirk in St. Louis.

Johan Larsson:

• Played for Team Sweden with Rangers F Jesper Fast at the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship.
• Won a gold medal with Rangers F Mike Zibanejad at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship. The duo won a second gold medal together at the 2018 IIHF World Championship.

Jake McCabe:

• Won a gold medal for the United States with Rangers F Jimmy Vesey at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship.
• Played for Team USA with Rangers F Kevin Hayes at the 2014 IIHF World Championship and with D Brady Skjei at the 2016 IIHF World Championship.

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.

Evan Rodrigues:

• 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.

Jeff Skinner:

• Played for Team Canada at the 2013 IIHF World Championship when Rangers assistant coach Lindy Ruff was the head coach of the team.

Vladimir Sobotka:

• Played with Rangers D Adam McQuaid in Boston.
• Played with Rangers D Kevin Shattenkirk in St. Louis.

Tage Thompson:

• Won a bronze medal with Rangers D Neal Pionk while representing the United States at the 2018 IIHF World Championship.

SABRES REAL-TIME STATS LEADERSHits: Ristolainen (38), Girgensons (22), McCabe (20)
Blocked Shots: Ristolainen (26), McCabe (23), Bogosian (21)
Shots: Eichel (57), Skinner (45), Pominville (38)
SABRES’ RECORD IN 10 GAME SEGMENTS [W-L-OTL (PTS), GF/GA, PP, PK]1-10: 6-4-0 (12), 26/28, 8/38, 22/30
11-20: 1-1-2 (4), 17/12, 3/14, 12/14
OVERTIME RESULTS (0-2; 113-123 all-time)Oct. 27 at CBJ: L, 5-4 (GWG-Panarin, 0:31)
Oct. 30 vs. CGY: L, 2-1 (GWG-Gaudreau, 2:40)
SHOOTOUT RESULTS (0-0; 70-66 all-time)N/A
MILESTONES APPROACHING (Player … Needs … Milestone)Games PlayedConor Sheary … 2 games … 200 career games played
Remi Elie … 6 games … 100 career games played
Jeff Skinner … 7 games … 600 career games played
Nathan Beaulieu … 8 games … 300 career games played
Evan Rodrigues … 9 games … 100 career games played
GoalsJason Pominville … 2 goals … 211 goals with Sabres (T-11th in franchise history)
PointsJeff Skinner … 5 points … 400 career points
Jack Eichel … 6 points … 200 career points
RECENT MILESTONESJason Pominville … 501st point with Sabres (9th in franchise history) … Nov. 1 at OTT
Jason Pominville … 1,000th NHL game … Nov. 1 at OTT
Conor Sheary … 100th NHL point … Nov. 3 vs. OTT

from Sabres Digital Press Box via IFTTT