@ 7:00 PM

Last Game:

Montreal: Mar 17 vs. Islanders Loss(SO) 3-2

Buffalo: Mar 19 at Lightning Win 7-3

Record:

Montreal: 28-32-13

Buffalo: 34-29-10

Points:

Montreal: 69

Buffalo: 78

Rank In Conference:

Montreal: 15th

Buffalo: 9th

Power Play Ranking:

Montreal: 14.8(27^th)

Buffalo: 16.3(T-19th)

Penalty Kill Ranking:

Montreal: 89.5(1^st)

Buffalo: 81.8(T-16th)

Goals For:

Montreal: 186(T-17^th)

Buffalo: 180(24th)

Goals Against:

Montreal: 194(17^th)

Buffalo: 201(21st)

Shots For:

Montreal: 2077(20^th)

Buffalo: 2113(18^th)

Shots Against:

Montreal: 2156(12^th)

Buffalo: 2277(27th)

Blocked Shots:

Montreal: 1196(3^rd)

Buffalo: 943(20th)

Hits:

Montreal: 1642(16^th)

Buffalo: 1351(28th)

Faceoff Percentage:

Montreal: 48.6(24^th)

Buffalo: 49.2(20th)

Team Leaders:

Goals:

Montreal: Pacioretty(30), Cole(27), Bourque(17), Desharnais(16)

Buffalo: Pominville(27), Vanek(23), Hodgson(16), Roy and Stafford(15)

Assists:

Montreal: Desharnais(39), Plekanec(32), Pacioretty and Kaberle(28), Subban(26)

Buffalo: Pominville(39), Vanek(29), Stafford(27), Ehrhoff(26)

Points:

Montreal: Pacioretty(58), Desharnais(55), Cole(52), Plekanec(46)

Buffalo: Pominville(66), Vanek(52), Stafford(42), Roy(39)

Plus/Minus:

Montreal: Gorges(+11), Cole(+9), Desharnais(+8), Subban(+4)

Buffalo: Ennis(+10), Sulzer(+8), Foligno(+5), Stafford(+4)

Penalty Minutes:

Montreal: Staubitz(107), Subban(93), Bourque(56), Pacioretty(54)

Buffalo: Kaleta(114), Weber(58), Roy(50), McCormick(49)

Shots:

Montreal: Pacioretty(252), Cole(209), Plekanec(196), Subban(184)

Buffalo: Pominville(201), Stafford(196), Vanek(185), Roy(153)

Blocked Shots:

Montreal: Gorges(215), Diaz(102), Subban(97), Emelin(82)

Buffalo: Leopold(109), Regehr(93), Sekera(80), Weber(79)

Hits:

Montreal: Emelin(218), Cole(170), Gorges(123), Subban(99)

Buffalo: Regehr(157), Kaleta(129), Weber(117), Stafford(92)

Face-Off Wins:

Montreal: Plekanec(752), Desharnais(595), Eller(279), Gomez(165)

Buffalo: Roy(588), Hodgson(242), Pominville(172), Hecht(136)

Today’s Starting Goaltender Matchup:

Montreal: Carey Price 25-26-10 2.43 GAA .916 SV% 4 SO

Buffalo:  Ryan Miller 24-18-5 2.59 GAA .915 SV% 5 SO

Notes:

Last Meeting:  Mar 12 Sabres Won(OT) 3-2

Season Series: Sabres Lead 4-0-1

All-Time: Sabres Lead 115-100-37

All-Time vs. MTL: Sabres Lead 67-34-24

Islanders edge Canadiens in shootout

Anyone who questions the motivation of teams who are playing out the string with virtually no hope of making the postseason often underestimates the power of pride.

Just ask New York Islanders captain Mark Streit.

Josh Bailey’s goal in the sixth round of the shootout gave the Islanders a 3-2 win Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens in a game where the loser would end up in last place in the Eastern Conference.

For Streit, that fact alone is plenty motivating.

“You know, 10 days ago, we were in the race for the eighth playoff spot,” said Streit, who snapped a 17-game goal drought with his 6th of the season in the second period.

“We just gave some games away, we had leads, we were in charge of the games and three times in a row we lost in the last minute or in OT. All of a sudden, you find yourself in the 15th spot in the Eastern Conference. We have a lot of pride here and a lot of character, and we don’t want to finish last.”

The Islanders’ victory allowed them to climb out of the basement and past the Canadiens into 14th place. Both teams are tied with 69 points, but the Islanders hold a game in hand on Montreal.

After Al Montoya stopped Andrei Markov’s slap shot from about 10 feet out, Bailey beat Peter Budaj with a quick shot to the stick side to win the game.

“I just couldn’t make that last save,” said Budaj, whose 36 saves were a season high.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2011021068

Sabres cruise to 7-3 win over Bolts

If it appeared at times as if the Buffalo Sabres were playing a team of minor leaguers as they defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-3 Monday night, it’s because they basically were.

The Lightning, ripped by injuries to their regulars, sent out a lineup that included seven skaters and a goaltender that had recently graced American Hockey League ice. Despite a valiant effort, the results were predictable.

“That’s what you get,” Lightning coach Guy Boucher said. “The guys tried hard and the American League guys are doing everything they can and our top guys have been pushing for so long, it’s tough to ask for a perfect game. You can’t put guys in slots they have never been and expect that they’ll go out there and play like (Nate) Thompson or (Adam) Hall or (Vincent) Lecavalier.”

But the way the Sabres skated Monday night, it might not have mattered who they were facing. Jason Pominville and Marcus Foligno each got two goals and Cody Hodgson, Thomas Vanek and Tyler Ennis each recorded two assists as Buffalo collected goals from five different skaters and Ryan Miller stopped 23 of 26 shots for his 26th win of the season.

Pominville’s two goals gave him 27 on the season. He leads the Sabres in that category. His first, on the power play at 15:50 of the opening period, came off a give-and-go with Hodgson.

“It was a good give-and-go,” Pominville said. “He put it right in my wheelhouse and I just had to shoot it. We’re slowly getting to where we want to be and what’s nice is to see a lot of guys getting on the score- sheet and be rewarded for their hard work and their play.”

No one is reaping rewards right now for Buffalo more than Foligno. The rookie had his second two-goal game and now has 5 goals and 2 assists in five games since joining Buffalo on March 10.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2011021084&navid=sb:recap

This Day In Sabres History:

March 21, 2007 Stafford Scores Twice in Sabres 5-2 victory over Capitals

On this date 5 years ago Drew Stafford scored twice one of them being of a highlight reel variety in the Sabres 5-2 victory of the Sabres. Derek Roy, Clarke MacArthur, and Daniel Briere also recorded goals on the night. Ryan Miller got the win making 24 saves. Washington got goals for Chris Clark and Donald Brashear. Stafford who was a rookie in 2007 finished with 27(13 G, 14 A) Points in 41 Games. Stafford also contributed in the playoffs netting 4 Points(2 G, 2 A) in 10 Playoff Games.

Injury Report:

Montreal: Gionta Right Bicep Surgery(IR/Out), Moen Upper Body(IR/Out), Darche Dizziness/Upper Body(IR/Out), Diaz Lower Body(IR/Out), Kaberle Upper Body(Questionable), Gomez Concussion(Questionable)

Buffalo: Hecht Concussion(IR/Out), Ellis Knee(Out), Gerbe Upper Body(Questionable)

Next 5 Games:

Mar 23 at New York Rangers 7:00 PM(MSG HD)

Mar 24 vs. Minnesota Wild 7:00 PM(MSG HD)

Mar 27 at Washington Capitals 7:00 PM(MSG HD)

Mar 30 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins 7:30 PM(MSG HD)

Mar 31 at Toronto Maple Leafs 7:00 PM(MSG HD)

Sabres got 2 very important points in there playoff hunt with a 7-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  Marcus Foligno keeps up his hot ways scoring twice in the Sabres victory. Jason Pominville also scored twice. Drew Stafford kicked off the scoring 11:30 into the 1st Period when he deflected a Christian Ehrhoff point shot past Dustin Tokarski. Jason Pominville would put the Sabres up 2-0 one-timing a Cody Hodgson pass on a power play 3:21 later. Hodgson recored his first point as a Sabres on the Pominville marker. Marcus Foligno would put the Sabres up 3-0 finishing a pretty 2 on 1 play 1:09 into the 2nd Period. The Bolts would cut the Sabres lead to 2 on a Bruno Gervais marker 6:03 later. The Sabres would quickly take there 3 goal lead back when Cody Hodgson pass sent Thomas Vanek and Corey Tropp in on a 2 on 1 which Tropp finished nicely behind Tokarski 1:04 later.

Tokarski would get pulled after the Tropp goal and was replaced by former Sabres goalie Dwayne Roloson. The Lightning would come back to cut the Sabres lead to 2 again with a Trevor Smith goal less than 6 minutes later. Marcus Foligno would then score his 2nd goal of night punching home a loose puck in the goal crease on the Power Play with less than 4 minutes left in the 2nd Period. Brad Boyes would put the Sabres up by four 38 seconds later beating Roloson with a wrist shot. Jason Pominville would score his 2nd of the night 17 seconds into the 3rd to put the Bolts away. Ryan Malone would score late in the third for the Lightning for their 3rd goal.Ryan Miller got his 26th win of the season making 24 Saves on the night.

The Sabres return home on Wednesday Night when they take Carey Price and The Montreal Canadiens at 7:00 PM. The Game can be seen on MSG HD.

@ 7:30 PM

Last Game:
Tampa Bay: Mar 17 vs. Blues-Lightning Lost 3-1

Buffalo: Mar 17 @ Panthers-Sabres Lost 3-2(SO)

Record:
Tampa Bay: 32-32-7
Buffalo: 33-29-10

Points:
Tampa Bay: 71
Buffalo: 76

Rank In Conference:
Tampa Bay: 13th
Buffalo: 10th

Power Play Ranking:
Tampa Bay: 15.5(23rd)
Buffalo: 15.7(21st)

Penalty Kill Ranking:
Tampa Bay: 78.6(T-26th)
Buffalo: 81.6(20th)

Goals For:
Tampa Bay: 197(10th)
Buffalo: 173(26th)

Goals Against:
Tampa Bay: 237(30th)
Buffalo: 198(T-19th)

Shots For:
Tampa Bay: 1956(27th)
Buffalo: 2075(20th)

Shots Against:
Tampa Bay: 2128(11th)
Buffalo: 2250(25th)

Blocked Shots:
Tampa Bay: 1086(10th)
Buffalo: 933(21st)

Hits:
Tampa Bay: 1542(20th)
Buffalo: 1331(30th)

Faceoff Percentage:
Tampa Bay: 48.8(T-21st)
Buffalo: 49.2(20th)

Team Leaders:
Goals:
Tampa Bay: Stamkos(50), St Louis(23), Lecavalier(21), Purcell(20), Malone(13)
Buffalo: Pominville(25), Vanek(23), Hodgson(16), Roy(15), Stafford(14)

Assists:
Tampa Bay: St Louis(41), Purcell(36), Stamkos(34), Lecavalier and Malone(25)
Buffalo: Pominville(39), Vanek(27), Ehrhoff and Stafford(25), Roy(24)

Points:
Tampa Bay: Stamkos(84), St Louis(64), Purcell(56), Lecavalier(46), Malone(38)
Buffalo: Pominville(64), Vanek(50), Roy and Stafford(39), Hodgson(33)

Plus/Minus:
Tampa Bay: Purcell(+9), Bergeron(+6), Commodore(+5), Smith and Stamkos(+3)
Buffalo: Sulzer and Ennis(+8), Foligno(+4), Gerbe, Stafford, Hodgson(+3)

Penalty Minutes:
Tampa Bay: Stamkos and Malone(64), Lecavalier and Hedman(46), Brewer(35)
Buffalo: Kaleta(114), Weber(58), Roy(50), McCormick(49), Vanek(48)

Shots:
Tampa Bay: Stamkos(251), Lecavalier(171), St Louis(162), Purcell(126)
Buffalo: Pominville(195), Stafford(191), Vanek(184), Roy(151), Ehrhoff(133)

Blocked Shots:
Tampa Bay: Clark(171), Brewer(151), Hedman(102), Thompson(55)
Buffalo: Leopold(107), Regehr(92), Sekera(80), Weber(77)

Hits:
Tampa Bay: Brewer(166), Malone(124), Thompson(106), Clark(104), Stamkos(100)
Buffalo: Regehr(156), Kaleta(127), Weber(113), Stafford(91), Myers(73)

Face-Off Wins:
Tampa Bay: Lecavalier(505), Stamkos(460), Hall(266), Thompson(249)
Buffalo: Roy(577), Hodgson(238), Pominville(172), Hecht(136)

Today’s Starting Goaltender Matchup:
Tampa Bay: Dwayne Roloson 8-14-2 3.73 GAA .880 SV% 1 SO
Buffalo: Ryan Miller 25-18-7 2.58 GAA .914 SV% 5 SO

Notes:
Last Meeting: Feb 11 @ Buffalo-Sabres Lost 2-1

Season Series: Lightning Lead 3-0
All-Time: Sabres Lead 46-22-5
All-Time @ TB: Sabres Lead 24-9-3

Injury Report:
Tampa Bay: Ohlund Knee Surgery(IR/Out), Tyrell Knee Surgery(IR/Out), Bergeron Back Surgery(IR/Out), Lecavalier Broken Hand(IR/Out), Gervais Upper Body(Out), Garon Lower Body(Out), Shannon Upper Body(Questionable), Thompson Upper Body(Questionable)
Buffalo: Hecht Concussion(IR/Out), Ellis Knee(Out), Gerbe Upper Body(Questionable), Myers Suspended(Out)

Next 5 Games:
Mar 21 vs. Montreal Canadiens 7:00 PM(MSG HD)
Mar 23 at New York Rangers 7:00 PM(MSG HD)
Mar 24 vs. Minnesota Wild 7:00 PM(MSG HD)
Mar 27 at Washington Capitals 7:00 PM(MSG HD)
Mar 30 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins 7:30 PM(MSG HD)

@ 7:30 PM

Last Game:

Florida: Mar 15 vs. Bruins Win 6-2

Buffalo: Mar 14 vs. Avalanche Loss(SO) 5-4

Record:

Florida: 34-23-13

Buffalo: 33-29-9

Points:

Florida: 81

Buffalo: 75

Rank In Conference:

Florida: 3rd

Buffalo: 10th

Power Play Ranking:

Florida: 18.9(10^th)

Buffalo: 15.5(24th)

Penalty Kill Ranking:

Florida: 79.7(24^th)

Buffalo: 81.9(T-16th)

Goals For:

Florida: 173(25^th)

Buffalo: 171(26th)

Goals Against:

Florida: 187(14^th)

Buffalo: 196(22nd)

Shots For:

Florida: 2097(13^th)

Buffalo: 2049(19^th)

Shots Against:

Florida: 2142(20^th)

Buffalo: 2233(28th)

Blocked Shots:

Florida: 903(24^th)

Buffalo: 917(21st)

Hits:

Florida: 1597(16^th)

Buffalo: 1297(29th)

Faceoff Percentage:

Florida: 50.6(12^th)

Buffalo: 49.2(20th)

Team Leaders:

Goals:

Florida: Fleischmann and Versteeg(22), Weiss(17), Bergenheim(16), Garrison(15)

Buffalo: Pominville(25), Vanek(23), Hodgson(16), Roy and Stafford(14)

Assists:

Florida: B. Campbell(43), Weiss(33), Fleischmann(29), Versteeg(27)

Buffalo: Pominville(38), Vanek(27), Ehrhoff(25), Roy and Stafford(24)

Points:

Florida: Fleischmann(51), Weiss(50), Versteeg(49), B. Campbell(47)

Buffalo: Pominville(63), Vanek(50), Roy and Stafford(38), Hodgson(33)

Plus/Minus:

Florida: Garrison(+10), Weiss(+7), Goc(+5), Versteeg, Weaver, and M. Cullen(+2)

Buffalo: Sulzer(+8), Ennis(+7), Hodgson(+4), Gerbe and Foligno(+3)

Penalty Minutes:

Florida: Barch(112), Gudbranson(69), Weiss(54) Bergenheim(44)

Buffalo: Kaleta(114), Weber(53), Roy(50), McCormick(49)

Shots:

Florida: Fleischmann(189), Versteeg(152), Bergenheim(151), Garrison(144)

Buffalo: Pominville(192), Stafford(187), Vanek(183), Roy(148)

Blocked Shots:

Florida: Weaver(121), Garrison(109), Campbell(98), Ellerby(98)

Buffalo: Leopold(104), Regehr(91), Sekera(79), Weber(77)

Hits:

Florida: Bradley(134), Gudbranson(120), Smithson(117), Garrison(111)

Buffalo: Regehr(155), Kaleta(124), Weber(110), Stafford(88)

Face-Off Wins:

Florida: Weiss(663), Goc(406), Smithson(338), Matthias(256)

Buffalo: Roy(565), Hodgson(232), Pominville(170), Hecht(136)

Today’s Starting Goaltender Matchup:

Florida: Jose Theodore 21-13-7 2.40 GAA .920 SV% 3 SO

Buffalo:  Ryan Miller 24-18-5 2.59 GAA .915 SV% 5 SO

Notes:

Last Meeting: Dec 9 Sabres Won(OT) 2-1

Season Series: Sabres Lead 2-1-0

All-Time: Sabres Lead 42-25-4

All-Time at FLA: Sabres Lead 18-15-1

Panthers rout reeling Bruins 6-2

There were no easy answers after Thursday night’s game at the BankAtlantic Center.

In one dressing room, center Stephen Weiss couldn’t really say why the Florida Panthers suddenly have become dynamic on offense. In the other, the Boston Bruins were at a loss to explain their dismal showing of late.

Weiss was one of six players to score for Florida as the Panthers routed the Bruins 6-2.

With the victory, Florida moved within two points of the Bruins for the second seed position in the Eastern Conference standings. The Panthers also extended their lead over idle Washington in the Southeast Division to three points; each team has 12 games remaining.

“It’s realistic now that we can catch some teams,” Weiss said. “We’ve got to stop looking behind and start looking forward and push ourselves that way. It makes it easier, too, when you’re looking ahead instead of always looking back to who’s chasing you.”

Weiss, Marcel Goc and Mikael Samuelsson each had a goal and an assist for the  Panthers, who beat the Bruins at home for the first time in six games over the last three seasons. John Madden, Tomas Kopecky and Wojtek Wolski had the other Florida goals and defenseman Brian Campbell had three assists.

It was the first time in 43 games since Dec. 5 that the Panthers scored at least five goals against a team other than Toronto. The Panthers had five goals in each of their three games against the Maple Leafs since that Dec. 5 game against Washington, including a 5-2 victory on Tuesday.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2011021057&navid=sb:recap

Avs rally in final seconds, top Sabres in shootout

Semyon Varlamov may not like the shootout, but the two seem to be getting along just fine.

The Colorado Avalanche goaltender stopped all Buffalo three chances and improved to 8-0 in the shootout this season in a 5-4 victory against the Sabres at the First Niagara Center on Wednesday night.

Varlamov, who was acquired from Washington last summer, has stopped 22 of 24 attempts this season.

“I jumped in the air like we won the Stanley Cup,” Varlamov said. “It was huge. We never gave up.”

Peter Mueller scored the deciding goal in the second round of the shootout for the Avs, who have now won three in a row and reached the 80-point plateau. Mueller ripped a quick wrist shot just under the glove of Sabres goalie Ryan Miller, who stopped 38 of 42 shots through regulation and overtime.

“This is the biggest win of the year,” Mueller said. “To go from zero points to getting two with seconds left, you don’t make that stuff up. It just shows the character of this team in that we never quit.”

Newcomer Jamie McGinn continued his torrid scoring pace with a pair of goals, including a game-tying tally with just 2.0 seconds left in regulation. David Jones and Gabriel Landeskog also scored for Colorado, while Paul Stastny had a pair of assists and Varlamov made 20 saves.

Marcus Foligno scored twice, Drew Stafford added a goal and two assists, Alexander Sulzer scored and Ennis had three assists for the Sabres, who now trail eighth-place Washington by three points in the Eastern Conference.

“Frustrating,” coach Lindy Ruff said of the lost point. “You play with fire, you’ll get burned. We should have had a D in front of the net, and one of the defensemen were behind the net.”

http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2011021046&navid=sb:recap

This Day In Sabres History:

March 17, 1991 Sabres Snap 12 Game Winless Streak at home with 6-1 win over Whalers

On this Day 21 years ago the Sabres broke a long streak of Futility with a 6-1 win over the Hartford Whalers. The Sabres were on streak of 12 straight games without a win on Home Ice. Darrin Shannon scored twice and the Sabres also got goals from Dave Andreychuk, Dale Hawerchuk, Grant Ledyard, and Ken Sutton. Hawerchuk finished the night with 5 points(1 G, 4 A). Darcy Wakaluk got the Win stopping 21 Whalers shots. The Sabres last home win before this night came January 22^nd vs Boston Bruins which was a 6-4 victory. The Sabres would make the playoffs later in the season getting knocked out by the Montreal Canadiens in 6 Games.

Injury Report:

Florida: Kulikov Knee Surgery(IR/Out), Upshall Sports Hernia Surgery(IR/Out), Bradley Upper Body(IR/Out), Versteeg Lower Body(Out), Skille Shoulder(Out)

Buffalo: Hecht Concussion(IR/Out), Ellis Knee(Out), Gerbe Upper Body(Questionable), Sekera Flu(Questionable)

Next 5 Games:

Mar 19 at Tampa Bay Lightning 7:30 PM(MSG HD)

Mar 21 vs. Montreal Canadiens 7:00 PM(MSG HD)

Mar 23 at New York Rangers 7:00 PM(MSG HD)

Mar 24 vs. Minnesota Wild 7:00 PM(MSG HD)

Mar 27 at Washington Capitals 7:00 PM(MSG HD)

vs. 7:30PM

Last Game:
Colorado: Mar 12 vs. Ducks-Avalanche Won 3-2(OT)

Buffalo: Mar 12 vs. Canadiens-Sabres Won 3-2(OT)

Record:
Colorado: 37-30-4
Buffalo: 33-29-8

Points:
Colorado: 78
Buffalo: 74

Rank In Conference:
Colorado: 11th
Buffalo: 9th

Power Play Ranking:
Colorado: 18.3(12th)
Buffalo: 15.6(24th)

Penalty Kill Ranking:
Colorado: 82.2(14th)
Buffalo: 82.0(15th)

Goals For:
Colorado: 180(19th)
Buffalo: 167(T-25th)

Goals Against:
Colorado: 188(T-16th)
Buffalo: 192(T-20th)

Shots For:
Colorado: 2198(7th)
Buffalo: 2025(19th)

Shots Against:
Colorado: 2084(15th)
Buffalo: 2191(27th)

Blocked Shots:
Colorado: 941(18th)
Buffalo: 901(T-21st)

Hits:
Colorado: 1628(13th)
Buffalo: 1274(30th)

Faceoff Percentage:
Colorado: 52.2(3rd)
Buffalo: 49.1(20th)

Team Leaders:
Goals:
Colorado: Landeskog(19), O’Reilly, Stastny, McGinn(17), Jones(16), Downie(14)
Buffalo: Pominville(25), Vanek(23), Hodgson(16), Roy(14), Stafford(13)

Assists:
Colorado: O’Reilly(34), Stastny(27), Landeskog and Downie(25), Hejduk(22)
Buffalo: Pominville(38), Vanek(27), Ehrhoff(25), Roy(24), Stafford(22)

Points:
Colorado: O’Reilly(51), Landeskog and Stastny(44), Downie(39), Hejduk(35)
Buffalo: Pominville(63), Vanek(50), Roy(38), Stafford(35), Hodgson(33)

Plus/Minus:
Colorado: Landeskog(+20), Wilson(+13), Van Der Gulik, McGin, Olver(+3)
Buffalo: Sulzer(+8), Hodgson(+6), Ennis(+4), Gerbe(+3)

Penalty Minutes:
Colorado: McLeod(150), Downie(129), O’Brien(93), Kobasew and O’Byrne(47)
Buffalo: Kaleta(110), Weber(53), Roy(50), McCormick(49), Vanek(48)

Shots:
Colorado: Landeskog(235), Stastny(163), O’Reilly and Hejduk(153), Johnson(135)
Buffalo: Pominville(191), Stafford(186), Vanek(181), Roy(146), Gerbe(132)

Blocked Shots:
Colorado: O’Byrne(118), Hejda(111), Johnson(84), O’Brien(73), Wilson(60)
Buffalo: Leopold(101), Regehr(91), Sekera(79), Weber(75), Ehrhoff(72)

Hits:
Colorado: Landeskog(190), O’Byrne(158), McGinn(146), O’Brien(127), Hejda(123)
Buffalo: Regehr(151), Kaleta(120), Weber(106), Stafford(88), Myers(73)

Face-Off Wins:
Colorado: Stastny(681), O’Reilly(669), McClement(394), Duchene(158)
Buffalo: Roy(552), Hodgson(224), Pominville(168), Hecht(136)

Today’s Starting Goaltender Matchup:
Colorado: Semyon Varlamov 22-20-2 2.62 GAA .911 SV% 4 SO
Buffalo: Ryan Miller 25-18-5 2.57 GAA .915 SV% 5 SO

Notes:
Last Meeting: Jan 4, 2011 @ Colorado-Sabres Lost 4-3(OT)

Season Series: Tied 0-0
All-Time: Sabres Lead 61-56-23
All-Time @ BUF: Sabres Lead 38-21-10

Injury Report:
Colorado: Duchene Sprained Ankle(Out), Kobasew Back(Questionable)
Buffalo: Hecht Concussion(IR/Out), McCormick Upper Body(Questionable), Sekera Pneumonia(Doubtful), Ellis Knee(Out), Myers Suspension(Out)

Next 5 Games:
Mar 17 at Florida Panthers 7:30 PM(MSG HD)
Mar 19 at Tampa Bay Lightning 7:30 PM(MSG HD)
Mar 21 vs. Montreal Canadiens 7:00 PM(MSG HD)
Mar 23 at New York Rangers 7:00 PM(MSG HD)
Mar 24 vs. Minnesota Wild 7:00 PM(MSG HD)

@ 7:00 PM

Last Game:

Montreal: Mar 10 at Canucks Win 4-1

Buffalo: Mar 10 at Senators Win(SO) 4-3

Record:

Montreal: 27-30-10

Buffalo: 32-29-8

Points:

Montreal: 64

Buffalo: 72

Rank In Conference:

Montreal: 15th

Buffalo: 10th

Power Play Ranking:

Montreal: 15.4(26^th)

Buffalo: 15.8(T-24th)

Penalty Kill Ranking:

Montreal: 89.2(3rd)

Buffalo: 81.9(T-15th)

Goals For:

Montreal: 179(T-15^th)

Buffalo: 164(25th)

Goals Against:

Montreal: 185(16^th)

Buffalo: 190(T-20^th)

Shots For:

Montreal: 1979(20^th)

Buffalo: 1989(19^th)

Shots Against:

Montreal: 2012(10th)

Buffalo: 2163(27th)

Blocked Shots:

Montreal: 1118(3^rd)

Buffalo: 888(23rd)

Hits:

Montreal: 1550(16^th)

Buffalo: 1255(28th)

Faceoff Percentage:

Montreal: 48.4(24^th)

Buffalo: 49.2(20th)

Team Leaders:

Goals:

Montreal: Pacioretty(30), Cole(25), Bourque(17), Eller(15)

Buffalo: Pominville(25), Vanek(23), Hodgson(16), Roy(14)

Assists:

Montreal: Desharnais(38), Plekanec(32), Kaberle(28), Pacioretty(26)

Buffalo: Pominville(37), Vanek(27), Ehrhoff(25), Roy(23)

Points:

Montreal: Pacioretty(56), Desharnais(52), Cole(49), Plekanec(45)

Buffalo: Pominville(62), Vanek(50), Roy(37), Hodgson and Stafford(33)

Plus/Minus:

Montreal: Cole and Desharnais(+9), Gorges(+8), St-Denis, Subban, and LeBlanc(+1), Pacioretty, A. Markov, and Geoffrion(EV)

Buffalo: Sulzer(+9), Hodgson(+7), Gerbe(+3), Ennis(+2)

Penalty Minutes:

Montreal: B. Staubitz(102), Subban(84), Bourque(56), Pacioretty(50)

Buffalo: Kaleta(110), Weber(53), McCormick(49), Vanek and Roy(48)

Shots:

Montreal: Pacioretty(237), Cole(199), Plekanec(186), Subban(176)

Buffalo: Pominville(188), Stafford(181), Vanek(176), Roy(142)

Blocked Shots:

Montreal: Gorges(196), Diaz(102), Subban(94), Emelin(78)

Buffalo: Leopold(101), Regehr(90), Sekera(79), Weber and Ehrhoff(72)

Hits:

Montreal: Emelin(211), Cole(165), Gorges(112), Subban(93)

Buffalo: Regehr(151), Kaleta(116), Weber(106), Stafford(85)

Face-Off Wins:

Montreal: Plekanec(697), Desharnais(553), Eller(275), Gomez(157)

Buffalo: Roy(541), Hodgson(220), Pominville(168), Hecht(136)

Today’s Starting Goaltender Matchup:

Montreal: Carey Price 24-26-9 2.45 GAA .915 SV% 4 SO

Buffalo:  Ryan Miller 24-18-5 2.59 GAA .915 SV% 5 SO

Notes:

Last Meeting: Feb 17 Canadiens Won(SO) 4-3

Season Series: Sabres Lead 3-0-1

All-Time: Sabres Lead 114-100-37

All-Time vs. MTL: Sabres Lead 66-34-24

Canadiens whip slumping Canucks 4-1

The Montreal Canadiens haven’t had much to celebrate this season, but they found plenty of positive storylines during a 4-1 win against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on Saturday night.

Erik Cole scored twice, including the go-ahead goal 13 seconds into the third period, despite being without injured top-line center David Desharnais.

Carey Price stopped all 15 shots in the first period and 32 overall while playing in front of a large contingent of family and friends in his home province.

Blake Geoffrion, a fourth-generation Canadien, scored his first goal for a team his grandfather and great grandfather starred for during Hall of Fame careers.

No storyline was bigger, however, than the return of Montreal’s top defenseman Andrei Markov after missing almost 16 months with a serious knee injury. And that was before the game. It only got better when the veteran Russian slid the puck across to P.K. Subban for a key 5-on-3 goal 5:20 into the third period.

“It was a big boost to the morale,” said a beaming Price. “He’s a first-class player and he moves the puck so well. When we’re breaking the puck out, he just has the confidence with it and it makes a big difference. He’s pretty irreplaceable.”

http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2011021024&navid=sb:recap

Sabres top Senators 4-3 in shootout

Just as they’ve been doing in the race for a playoff berth, the Buffalo Sabres spent Saturday night playing catch-up.

Happily for the Sabres’ playoff hopes, they caught — and passed — the Ottawa Senators.

Tyler Ennis scored in regulation and got the winner in the shootout as the Sabres gave their playoff chances a boost with a 4-3 victory at Scotiabank Place.

“I think it shows a lot of character from our team that we were able to battle back,” Ennis said. “Now we just gotta move forward.”

After Ottawa’s Daniel Alfredsson scored in the first half of the third round to tie the shootout, Ennis came in on Ben Bishop, deked once and snapped a forehand past him to give the Sabres a victory after they overcame three one-goal deficits to get the game past 60 minutes.

The win gave the Sabres 72 points, the same as ninth-place Winnipeg — both teams trail eighth-place Washington by two points, though the Caps have a game in hand on both teams.

The single point gave the seventh-place Senators 81, two behind sixth-place New Jersey.

“We’ll take what we can get tonight,” coach Paul MacLean said. “We worked real hard; we got a point. We’ll move on.”

Nathan Gerbe and Marcus Foligno also had goals for Buffalo, while Erik Karlsson scored twice and Erik Condra once for the Senators, who led three times but couldn’t put away the visitors.

“We played well in the third,” Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said. “We had a little trouble in the second, but we came back to our game and capitalized on our opportunities. I like what the lines did. I thought Ville (Leino) had a heck of a game up there with (Cody) Hodgson and (Jason) Pominville.”

http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2011021017&navid=sb:recap

This Day In Sabres History:

March 12, 2006 Vanek Scores Twice in Sabres 6-2 Beatdown of Rival Bruins

On This Day 6 years ago Thomas Vanek scored twice to lead the Sabres to a 6-2 victory over the Boston Bruins. Sabres also got goals from Derek Roy, Maxim Afinogenov, Ales Kotalik, and Tim Connolly. Bruins got tallies from Andrew Alberts and current Sabres Brad Boyes. Martin Biron made 37 Saves on the night.

Injury Report:

Montreal: Gionta Right Biceps Injury(IR/Out), Blunden Knee Surgery(IR/Out), Moen Upper Body(IR/Out), Darche Dizziness/Upper Body(IR/Out), Diaz Lower Body(IR/Out), Desharnais Lower Body(Questionable)

Buffalo: Hecht Concussion(IR/Out), Vanek Upper Body(Doubtful), Kaleta Neck(Questionable), McCormick Upper Body(Questionable), Sekera Flu(Questionable)

Next 5 Games:

Mar 14 vs. Colorado Avalanche 7:30 PM(NBCS HD)

Mar 17 at Florida Panthers 7:30 PM(MSG HD)

Mar 19 at Tampa Bay Lightning 7:30 PM(MSG HD)

Mar 21 vs. Montreal Canadiens 7:00 PM(MSG HD)

Mar 23 at New York Rangers 7:00 PM(MSG HD)

@ 7:00PM

Last Game:
Ottawa: Mar 8 vs. Rangers-Senators Won 4-1

Buffalo: Mar 8 @ Bruins-Sabres Lost 3-1

Record:
Ottawa: 36-25-8
Buffalo: 31-29-8

Points:
Ottawa: 80
Buffalo: 70

Rank In Conference:
Ottawa: 7th
Buffalo: 10th

Power Play Ranking:
Ottawa: 19.9(6th)
Buffalo: 16.0(T-23rd)

Penalty Kill Ranking:
Ottawa: 81.7(T-17th)
Buffalo: 81.8(16th)

Goals For:
Ottawa: 208(T-3rd)
Buffalo: 161(T-24th)

Goals Against:
Ottawa: 200(T-26th)
Buffalo: 187(T-20th)

Shots For:
Ottawa: 2125(8th)
Buffalo: 1948(19th)

Shots Against:
Ottawa: 2212(30th)
Buffalo: 2127(27th)

Blocked Shots:
Ottawa: 927(17th)
Buffalo: 875(21st)

Hits:
Ottawa: 1640(8th)
Buffalo: 1223(30th)

Faceoff Percentage:
Ottawa: 50.2(T-14th)
Buffalo: 49.1(21st)

Team Leaders:
Goals:
Ottawa: Michalek(32), Spezza(29), Alfredsson(22), Karlsson(16), Foligno and Smith(14)
Buffalo: Pominville(25), Vanek(23), Hodgson(16), Roy(14)

Assists:
Ottawa: Karlsson(51), Spezza(44), Gonchar(30), Alfredsson(27), Foligno(26)
Buffalo: Pominville(37), Vanek(27), Ehrhoff(24), Roy(22)

Points:
Ottawa: Spezza(73), Karlsson(67), Michalek(51), Alfredsson(49), Foligno(40)
Buffalo: Pominville(62), Vanek(50), Roy(36), Hodgson and Stafford(33)

Plus/Minus:
Ottawa: Kuba(+21), Karlsson(+14), Alfredsson(+10), Turris, Spezza, Condra(+9)
Buffalo: Hodgson(+8), Sulzer(+7), Gerbe(+3), Hecht, Myers, Ennis(+1)

Penalty Minutes:
Ottawa: Konopka(172), Neil(114), Foligno(91), Smith(84), Gonchar(42)
Buffalo: Kaleta(110), Weber(53), McCormick(49), Vanek and Roy(48)

Shots:
Ottawa: Karlsson(218), Spezza(197), Michalek(185), Alfredsson(155)
Buffalo: Pominville(184), Vanek and Stafford(176), Roy(140)

Blocked Shots:
Ottawa: Kuba(126), Phillips(119), Gonchar(88), Cowen(71), Gilroy(63)
Buffalo: Leopold(99), Regehr(70), Sekera(79), Weber and Ehrhoff(71)

Hits:
Ottawa: Neil(228), Cowen(180), Foligno(167), Greening(156)
Buffalo: Regehr(149), Kaleta(112), Weber(100), Stafford(85)

Face-Off Wins:
Ottawa: Spezza(786), Smith(414), Turris(256), Konopka(221), Winchester(107)
Buffalo: Roy(530), Hodgson(211), Pominville(167), Hecht(136)

Today’s Starting Goaltender Matchup:
Ottawa: Ben Bishop 2-0-0 2.00 GAA .926 SV% 0 SO
Buffalo: Ryan Miller 23-18-5 2.58 GAA .915 SV% 5 SO

Notes:
Last Meeting: Dec 31 @ Buffalo-Sabres Lost 3-2(SO)

Season Series: Senators Lead 3-1-1
All-Time: Sabres Lead 68-48-16
All-Time at OTT: Sabres Lead 33-23-10

Injury Report:
Ottawa: Regin Shoulder Surgery(IR/Out), Winchester Concussion(IR/Out), Anderson Lacerated Pinky(IR/Out)
Buffalo: Hecht Concussion(IR/Out), McCormick Upper Body(Out), Sekera Flu(Out), Vanek Upper Body(Questionable)

Next 5 Games:
Mar 12 vs. Montreal Canadiens 7:00 PM(MSG HD and TSN HD)
Mar 14 vs. Colorado Avalanche 7:30 PM(NBCS HD)
Mar 17 at Florida Panthers 7:30 PM(MSG HD)
Mar 19 at Tampa Bay Lightning 7:30 PM(MSG HD)
Mar 21 vs. Montreal Canadiens 7:00 PM(MSG HD and RDS HD)

@ 7:00 PM

Last Game:

Boston: Mar 6 at Maple Leafs Win 5-4

Buffalo: Mar 7 vs. Hurricanes Win(OT) 3-2

Record:

Boston: 39-23-3

Buffalo: 31-28-8

Points:

Boston: 81

Buffalo: 70

Rank In Conference:

Boston: 2nd

Buffalo: 10th

Power Play Ranking:

Boston: 17.7(13^th)

Buffalo: 16.1(23rd)

Penalty Kill Ranking:

Boston: 84.1(8^th)

Buffalo: 81.7(19th)

Goals For:

Boston: 207(2^nd)

Buffalo: 160(25th)

Goals Against:

Boston: 152(4^th)

Buffalo: 184(20^th)

Shots For:

Boston: 2161(4^th)

Buffalo: 1928(19^th)

Shots Against:

Boston: 1978(11^th)

Buffalo: 2099(27th)

Blocked Shots:

Boston: 860(21st)

Buffalo: 854(22nd)

Hits:

Boston: 1341(24^th)

Buffalo: 1200(30th)

Faceoff Percentage:

Boston: 54.6(1^st)

Buffalo: 49.3(20th)

Team Leaders:

Goals:

Boston: Seguin(24), Lucic and Marchand(22), P. Bergeron(19), Krejci and Horton(17)

Buffalo: Pominville(24), Vanek(23), Hodgson(16), Roy(14)

Assists:

Boston: P. Bergeron(35), Chara(31), Seguin and Krejci(30), Peverley(29)

Buffalo: Pominville(37), Vanek(26), Ehrhoff(24), Roy(22)

Points:

Boston: P. Bergeron and Seguin(54), Lucic(49), Krejci(47), Marchand(43)

Buffalo: Pominville(61), Vanek(49), Roy(36), Hodgson and Stafford(33)

Plus/Minus:

Boston: Seguin(+35), P. Bergeron(+29), Chara(+26), Kelly(+25)

Buffalo: Hodgson(+9), Sulzer(+7), Ennis(+4), Gerbe(+3)

Penalty Minutes:

Boston: Thornton(134), Lucic(120), McQuaid(97), Marchand(83)

Buffalo: Kaleta(110), Weber(53), McCormick(49), Vanek and Roy(48)

Shots:

Boston: Seguin(199), Chara(186), Bergeron(161), Corvo(151)

Buffalo: Pominville(183), Vanek(176), Stafford(174), Roy(139)

Blocked Shots:

Boston: Seidenberg(137), Zanon(110), Boychuk(109), McQuaid(93)

Buffalo: Leopold(96), Regehr(89), Sekera(79), Weber(70)

Hits:

Boston: Lucic(151), Chara(129), Seidenberg(121), Boychuk(118)

Buffalo: Regehr(145), Kaleta(112), Weber(95), Stafford(85)

Face-Off Wins:

Boston: Bergeron(764), Krejci(426), Kelly(333), G. Campbell(280)

Buffalo: Roy(525), Hodgson(205), Pominville(167), Hecht(136)

Today’s Starting Goaltender Matchup:

Boston: Tim Thomas 28-15-0 2.32 GAA .925 SV% 4 SO

Buffalo:  Ryan Miller 23-18-5 2.58 GAA .915 SV% 5 SO

Notes:

Last Meeting: Feb 24 Sabres Won(SO) 2-1

Season Series: Sabres Lead 3-1-1

All-Time: Sabres Lead 114-108-39

All-Time at BOS: Bruins Lead 66-45-18

Bruins spoil Carlyle’s home debut in 5-4 win

After one game and two rigorous practices, it was clear to Randy Carlyle that the Toronto Maple Leafs had to be more conservative and get back to playing a skating game in order to be successful.

After his home debut Tuesday against Boston, it’s clear that Toronto’s new coach has a heck of a lot more work to do.

The Bruins spoiled Carlyle’s first game behind the home bench at Air Canada Centre with a 5-4 victory. Their top line of David Krejci, Tyler Seguin and Milan Lucic piled up four more points, giving them 18 in the four games since they were put together, and Jordan Caron had a career-best 3-point game after recording his first career two-point game in Sunday’s loss in New York.

Boston is currently missing Andrew Ference, Tuukka Rask, Nathan Horton, Rich Peverley and Daniel Paille.

“We need a lot of guys to step up right now,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said. “We’re battling some injuries, so we just need our team to really grind it out, understand that we may not have our full squad and from here on in it may be a challenge to win every game but this is what is going to build some character moving forward. I’m hoping we take advantage of the situation to do just that.”

It was a cringe-worthy type of game for the defensive-minded Carlyle. The former Norris Trophy winner watched the Leafs blow assignments in their own zone and leave goalie Jonas Gustavsson hung out to dry far too often. On top of it, the Maple Leafs, who are still 12th in the Eastern Conference, five points back of the idle eighth-place Winnipeg Jets with 16 games left, also lost Joffrey Lupul and Colby Armstrong to injuries.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2011020984&navid=sb:recap

Sabres edge Hurricanes in OT

Jason Pominville moved the Buffalo Sabres within two points of a playoff spot Wednesday night.

The Sabres’ captain scored on a power play 56 seconds into overtime to give his surging club a 3-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes at the First Niagara Center.

Now 7-1-2 in its last 10 games, Buffalo (31-28-8) is just two points back of eighth-place Winnipeg in the Eastern Conference. Thomas Vanek and Tyler Myers also scored for the Sabres, while Ryan Miller made 22 saves.

“It’s huge. We’re making steps,” said Pominville, who also added an assist. “We’re playing better hockey. We’ve dug ourselves in a big hole that isn’t easy to get ourselves out of. But we believe.”

Jaroslav Spacek and Chad LaRose scored for the Hurricanes, 2-1-4 in their past seven games. Coming off a 4-3 overtime win at Washington, Carolina failed to win consecutive road games for the first time since October.

“Our guys, you can tell by the way we’re playing, we believe we can battle every night and keep picking up points,” Hurricanes coach Kirk Muller said. “We’re scratching and clawing for every point.”

The Sabres converted with Bryan Allen off for hooking, in a penalty called with 55 seconds left in regulation. Parked atop the left circle, Pominville took a pass from Christian Ehrhoff and blasted it inside the far post. Goalie Cam Ward appeared to be screened by defenseman Jay Harrison.

Buffalo was 2-for-7 on the power play, the first time the Sabres have scored twice on the man-advantage in 31 games.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2011020996&navid=sb:recap

This Day In Sabres History:

March 8, 2002 Biron Gets 2^nd Straight Shutout with 3-0 Blanking of Canadiens

On this day 10 days ago Marty Biron got his 2^nd Straight Shutout with a 3-0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. The night before Biron shutout the New York Islanders 5-0. Biron would make 26 saves on the night in the win. Sabres got goals from Brian Campbell, Chris Gratton, and JP Dumont. Biron finished his career with 18 shutouts in his Sabres career which ranks him 3^rd all time in team history.

Injury Report:

Boston: Savard Post Concussion Syndrome(IR/Out), Horton Concussion(IR/Out), Peverley Sprained Right MCL(Out), Rask Lower Body(Out), Paille Left Arm(Doubtful), Ference Lower Body(Doubtful), Pouliot Lower Body(Questionable)

Buffalo: Hecht Concussion(IR/Out), McCormick Upper Body(Out), Sekera Flu(Questionable)

Next 5 Games:

Mar 10 at Ottawa Senators 7:00 PM(MSG HD and CBC HD)

Mar 12 vs. Montreal Canadiens 7:00 PM(MSG HD and TSN HD)

Mar 14 vs. Colorado Avalanche 7:30 PM(NBCS HD)

Mar 17 at Florida Panthers 7:30 PM(MSG HD)

Mar 19 at Tampa Bay Lightning 7:30 PM(MSG HD)

VS. 7:00PM

Last Game:

Carolina: Mar 6 @ Washington-Hurricanes Won 4-3(OT)

Buffalo: Mar 5 @ Winnipeg-Sabres Lost 3-1

Record:
Carolina: 25-27-14
Buffalo: 30-28-8

Points:
Carolina: 64
Buffalo: 68

Rank In Conference:
Carolina: 14th
Buffalo: 11th

Power Play Ranking:
Carolina: 16.6(T-16th)
Buffalo: 15.6(24th)

Penalty Kill Ranking:
Carolina: 78.1(26th)
Buffalo: 81.4(T-19th)

Goals For:
Carolina: 175(12th)
Buffalo: 157(26th)

Goals Against:
Carolina: 194(25th)
Buffalo: 182(T-18th)

Shots For:
Carolina: 2010(11th)
Buffalo: 1886(20th)

Shots Against:
Carolina: 2114(28th)
Buffalo: 2075(26th)

Blocked Shots:
Carolina: 1009(10th)
Buffalo: 843(24th)

Hits:
Carolina: 1357(22nd)
Buffalo: 1181(30th)

Faceoff Percentage:
Carolina: 50.6(12th)
Buffalo: 49.3(20th)

Team Leaders:
Goals:
Carolina: Staal(19), Skinner and Ruutu(17), Tlusty(15), Sutter(14)
Buffalo: Pominville(23), Vanek(22), Hodgson(16), Roy(14)

Assists:
Carolina: Staal(40), Jokinen(24), Skinner(19), Tlusty, McBain, Gleason(16)
Buffalo: Pominville(36), Vanek(25), Roy and Ehrhoff(22), Stafford(20)

Points:
Carolina: Staal(59), Skinner(36), Jokinen(34), Tlusty(31), Ruutu(30), Sutter(26)
Buffalo: Pominville(59), Vanek(47), Roy(36), Hodgson and Stafford(33)

Plus/Minus:
Carolina: Tlusty(+8), Gleason(+7), Spacek and Ruutu(+3), Stewart(+2), Nash and Dwyer(+1)
Buffalo: Hodgson(+10), Sulzer(+7), Ennis(+5), Gerbe(+3), Myers and Hecht(+1)

Penalty Minutes:
Carolina: Allen(60), Gleason(55), Harrison(54), Ruutu(40), Jokinen(38), Staal and LaRose(36)
Buffalo: Kaleta(110), Weber(53), McCormick(49), Vanek(48), Roy(46)

Shots:
Carolina: Staal(217), Skinner(164), LaRose(145), Sutter(131), Ruutu(128)
Buffalo: Pominville(181), Stafford(174), Vanek(167), Roy(136)

Blocked Shots:
Carolina: Allen(142), Harrison(122), Gleason(92), McBain(84)
Buffalo: Leopold(93), Regehr(88), Sekera(79), Weber(70)

Hits:
Carolina: Dwyer(114), Ruutu(106), Gleason(105), LaRose(100)
Buffalo: Regehr(143), Kaleta(108), Weber(93), Stafford(84)

Face-Off Wins:
Carolina: Staal(716), Sutter(544), Jokinen(370), Brent(210)
Buffalo: Roy(514), Hodgson(200), Pominville(167), Hecht(136)

Today’s Starting Goaltender Matchup:
Carolina: Cam Ward 23-19-11 2.85 GAA .910 SV% 3 SO
Buffalo: Jhonas Enroth 8-10-3 2.68 GAA .917 SV% 1 SO

Notes:
Last Meeting: Jan 6 @ Carolina-Sabres Lost 4-2

Season Series: Carolina Leads 2-0
All-Time: Sabres Lead 98-67-24
All-Time @ BUF: Sabres Lead 55-30-8

Injury Report:
Carolina: Pitkanen Concussion/Knee Surgery(IR/Out), Ruutu Upper Body(Out), Bowman Sinus Infection(Possible)
Buffalo: Hecht Concussion(IR/Out), McCormick Upper Body(Out)

Next 5 Games:
Mar 8 at Boston Bruins 7:00 PM(MSG HD)
Mar 10 at Ottawa Senators 7:00 PM(MSG HD, RDS HD, CBC)
Mar 12 vs. Montreal Canadiens 7:00 PM(RDS HD, MSG HD, TSN)
Mar 14 vs. Colorado Avalanche 7:30 PM(NBCS HD and TSN2)
Mar 17 at Florida Panthers 7:30 PM(MSG HD)

@ 8:00 PM

Last Game:
Winnipeg: Mar 1 vs. Panthers-Jets Won 7-0

Buffalo: Mar 3 @ Canucks-Sabres Won 5-3

Record:
Winnipeg: 31-27-8
Buffalo: 30-27-8

Points:
Winnipeg: 70
Buffalo: 68

Rank In Conference:
Winnipeg: 8th
Buffalo: 11th

Power Play Ranking:
Winnipeg: 19.8(T-6th)
Buffalo: 15.8(24th)

Penalty Kill Ranking:
Winnipeg: 80.6(23rd)
Buffalo: 81.3(20th)

Goals For:
Winnipeg: 169(T-16th)
Buffalo: 156(T-25th)

Goals Against:
Winnipeg: 182(21st)
Buffalo: 179(T-17th)

Shots For:
Winnipeg: 1956(12th)
Buffalo: 1862(T-20th)

Shots Against:
Winnipeg: 1975(17th)
Buffalo: 2044(26th)

Blocked Shots:
Winnipeg: 962(12th)
Buffalo: 831(25th)

Hits:
Winnipeg: 1576(8th)
Buffalo: 1163(30th)

Faceoff Percentage:
Winnipeg: 49.2(T-20th)
Buffalo: 49.5(19th)

Team Leaders:
Goals:
Winnipeg: Kane(26), Ladd(20), Little(19), Wheeler and Wellwood(14)
Buffalo: Pominville(23), Vanek(22), Hodgson(16), Roy(14)

Assists:
Winnipeg: Wheeler(39), Byfuglien(32), Wellwood(25), Kane and Antropov(20)
Buffalo: Pominville(36), Vanek(25), Roy and Ehrhoff(22), Stafford(20)

Points:
Winnipeg: Wheeler(53), Kane(46), Byfuglien(42), Wellwood(39), Ladd(37)
Buffalo: Pominville(59), Vanek(47), Roy(36), Hodgson and Stafford(33)

Plus/Minus:
Winnipeg: Wheeler and Kane(+10), Wellwood, Burmistrov, Hainsey(+7)
Buffalo: Hodgson(+11), Sulzer(+7), Ennis(+6), Gerbe(+3), Hecht(+1)

Penalty Minutes:
Winnipeg: Stuart(94), Thorburn(81), Byfuglien(60), Glass(54), Bogosian(51)
Buffalo: Kaleta(108), Weber(53), McCormick(49), Vanek(48), Roy(44)

Shots:
Winnipeg: Kane(224), Ladd(204), Byfuglien(171), Wheeler(160), Little(127)
Buffalo: Pominville(178), Stafford(170), Vanek(165), Roy(135)

Blocked Shots:
Winnipeg: Stuart(152), Hainsey(94), Bogosian(90), Enstrom(59), Slater(58)
Buffalo: Leopold(92), Regehr(87), Sekera(77), Ehrhoff and Weber(69)

Hits:
Winnipeg: Glass(200), Stuart(161), Slater(143), Thorburn(136), Kane(131)
Buffalo: Regehr(141), Kaleta(107), Weber(92), Stafford(84)

Face-Off Wins:
Winnipeg: Little(579), Slater(492), Antropov(250), Burmistrov(175), Wellwood(100)
Buffalo: Roy(510), Hodgson(195), Pominville(167), Hecht(136)

Today’s Starting Goaltender Matchup:
Winnipeg: Ondrej Pavelec 24-21-7 2.77 GAA .911 SV% 4 SO
Buffalo: Ryan Miller 22-17-5 2.59 GAA .915 SV% 5 SO

Notes:
Last Meeting: Jan 19 @ Jets-Sabres Lost 4-1

Season Series: Jets Lead 2-0-1
All-Time: Sabres Lead 21-15-11
All-Time at WPG/ATL: Jets Lead 15-4-4

Injury Report:
Winnipeg: Bogosian Wrist(Doubtful)
Buffalo: Hecht Concussion(IR/Out), McCormick Upper Body(Out), Regehr Hip(Doubtful)

Next 5 Games:
Mar 7 vs. Carolina Hurricanes 7:00 PM(MSG HD)
Mar 8 at Boston Bruins 7:00 PM(MSG HD)
Mar 10 at Ottawa Senators 7:00 PM(MSG HD, RDS HD, CBC)
Mar 12 vs. Montreal Canadiens 7:00 PM(RDS HD, MSG HD, TSN)
Mar 14 vs. Colorado Avalanche 7:30 PM(NBCS HD and TSN2)