Sabres Game Preview: 10/11/18 vs. Colorado

LAST GAMEMonday, October 8
Vegas 2 at Buffalo 4
Goals: Eichel (2), Scandella, Pominville
Goalie: Hutton (35 saves/37 shots)
PP: 1/2; PK: 2/2; Shots: Vegas 37 – Buffalo 17


CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 17)Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
Zach Bogosian (lower body, Oct. 4) – 3 games
Matt Hunwick (neck, Oct. 4; injured reserve) – 3 games
Johan Larsson (lower body, Oct. 4; injured reserve) – 3 games
Sean Malone (knee, Oct. 4; injured reserve) – 3 games
Scott Wilson (ankle, Oct. 4; injured reserve) – 3 games
Vladimir Sobotka (upper body, Oct. 6) – 2 games


TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYS
N/A


UPCOMING GAMESSaturday, 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.
Saturday, Oct. 20: Buffalo at Los Angeles, 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 21: Buffalo at Anaheim, 8 p.m.


TONIGHT’S GAMEAVALANCHE at SABRES

• This is the first of two meetings between the Sabres and Avalanche this season.
• Next meeting: Saturday, March 9, 2019 in Colorado
• Last meeting: Colorado defeated Buffalo 5-4 in Buffalo on Feb. 11
• The Sabres are 3-7-0 in their last 10 games vs. the Avalanche; 3-5-2 at home.
• This is the 144th game all-time between Buffalo and Colorado; Buffalo has a 62-57-24 series record.
• The Sabres are 38-22-11 at home against the Avalanche all-time.

THIS DAY IN SABRES HISTORY

• The Sabres are 7-4-3 all-time on October 11.
• October 11, 1979: Lindy Ruff scores in his first NHL game, a 6-3 win vs. Washington, becoming the first Sabres defenseman ever to score in his NHL debut.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

• Tonight’s game is the final in a four-game home stand. The four games mark the longest home stretch to open a season in franchise history. After tonight, the team will head west to play five games against Pacific Division teams in nine days from Oct. 13 to 21.
• Jack Eichel has recorded at least a point in each of his five career meetings with the Avalanche, totaling six points (2+4) in those games.
• Carter Hutton is 5-1-0 in six career appearances against Colorado with a .925 save percentage, including a 3-0-0 record and .951 save percentage last season.
• Casey Nelson scored his first NHL goal in his only previous meeting with the Avalanche on Feb. 11, when these teams last met.

MAKING HISTORY

• If he dresses, tonight’s game will be Jason Pominville’s 664th regular-season game as a member of the Sabres, tying him with Mike Foligno and Ric Seiling for 10th-most games in franchise history.
• After tonight, Pominville will be just 17 games behind Rick Martin (681) for ninth and 48 games behind Alexei Zhitnik (712) for eighth.
• Pominville will be the first player to break into the franchise’s top 10 in games played since Zhitnik passed Foligno, Seiling and Martin to move into eighth during the 2003-04 season.
• Pominville also ranks in or near the franchise’s regular-season top 10 in goals (12th, 202), assists (8th, 289) and points (11th, 491).

CAPTAIN JACK

• After being named captain on Oct. 3, 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.

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.

2018-19 ROSTER NOTESOf 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

SABRES AMONG LEAGUE-LEADERS (Sabres’ league rankings before 10/10 games)

• Buffalo Sabres: 37.5 PP% (6th), 2.33 GA/GP (T-8th), 83.3 PK% (T-9th)
• Eichel: 3 G (T-8th)
• Hutton: 100 SV (1st), 2 W (T-2nd)
• Ristolainen: 25:36 TOI/GP (7th)
• Sheary: 2 PPG (T-2nd)

BUF-COL CONNECTIONS


Former Sabres

• Avalanche F J.T. Compher was drafted by the Sabres in the second round (35th overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft.
• Avalanche assistant coach Nolan Pratt played for the Sabres for one season (2000-01) during his professional career. He skated in 46 games with the team and recorded three points (1+2).
• Avalanche D Nikita Zadorov was selected by Buffalo in the first round (16th overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft. He spent one season with the club (2014-15), playing in 60 games and recording 15 points (3+12).

Nathan Beaulieu

• Played with Avalanche F Sven Andrighetto and D Mark Barberio in Montreal.

Patrik Berglund

• Played with Avalanche D Ian Cole and D Erik Johnson in St. Louis.
• Played for the Blues when Avalanche assistant coach Ray Bennett held the same role in St. Louis.

Jason Botterill

• Was the assistant general manager in Pittsburgh when Avalanche D Ian Cole played for the Penguins.

Phil Housley

• Was an assistant coach in Nashville when Avalanche F Gabriel Bourque, F Vladislav Kamenev and F Colin Wilson played for the Predators.

Carter Hutton

• Played with Avalanche F Gabriel Bourque and F Colin Wilson in Nashville.
• Played for the Blues when Avalanche assistant coach Ray Bennett held the same role in St. Louis.

Davis Payne

• Played with Avalanche assistant general manager Craig Billington in Boston from 1995 to 1996.
• Was the head coach in St. Louis when Avalanche D Ian Cole and D Erik Johnson played for the Blues. Avalanche assistant coach Ray Bennett was also on his coaching staff during his tenure with the team.

Conor Sheary

• Played with Avalanche D Ian Cole in Pittsburgh.

Vladimir Sobotka

• Played with Avalanche D Ian Cole and D Erik Johnson in St. Louis.
• Played for the Blues when Avalanche assistant coach Ray Bennett held the same role in St. Louis.

Matt Tennyson

• Played with Avalanche F Matt Nieto in San Jose.

Scott Wilson

• Played with Avalanche D Ian Cole in Pittsburgh.

SABRES REAL-TIME STATS LEADERSHits: Ristolainen (8), Girgensons (7), McCabe (7)
Blocked Shots: Berglund (7), Ristolainen (4), Eichel/McCabe (3)
Shots: Eichel (12), Ristolainen (8), Scandella/Sheary (7)


SABRES’ RECORD IN 10 GAME SEGMENTS [W-L-OTL (PTS), GF/GA, PP, PK]1-10: 2-1-0 (4), 7/7, 3/8, 5/6


OVERTIME RESULTS (0-0; 113-121 all-time)N/A


SHOOTOUT RESULTS (0-0; 70-66 all-time)N/A


MILESTONES APPROACHING (Player … Needs … Milestone)Games PlayedJason Pominville … 1 game … 664 games played with Sabres (T-10th in franchise history)
Patrik Berglund … 3 games … 700 career games played
Remi Elie … 8 games … 100 career games played
GoalsJason Pominville … 9 goals … 211 goals with Sabres (T-11th in franchise history)
PointsJason Pominville … 3 points … 700 career points
Conor Sheary … 4 points … 100 career points
Jason Pominville … 6 points … 497 points with Sabres (T-10th in franchise history)

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