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I mean, we should be appreciated, right? We watch every single one of these games, and ###### post on a forum long enough where 10/10 doctors don't recommend; livers and fingers simply can't take such constant constraints. But God dammit, we, the fans, deserve our own shindig. And, folks, this is our last pity party. For the last 5 years, Fan Appreciation Day is a day where this organization apologies for acting like a bunch of jamboys trying following Chevy Chase at the Augusta National. We sit there, we accept it, we acknowledge good times are ahead. Well, ###### your wait, and mine, because they're here. Your Buffalo Sabres are 19-13-7 in their last 39 games, and 7-2-2 in their last 11. Winners of 3 straight, their best streak since November, the Sabres have worked hard to climb out of the cellar of the NHL and escape the lame, deformed league experiment chained in rusty shackles to the wall that is the NHL's Edmonton Oilers. It's seems like only yesterday that some were lamenting the Sabres perpetual demise; our inevitable turmoil seemed just that, inevitable. Doomed to stir in our own filth in that basement with the 5 inbred sons of the Edmonton Oilers, and a crying Connor McDavid in the corner whispering prayers to himself as Robin Williams yells 'IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT', some saw no escape for this team. Yet, AND YET, where are we now, I ask you? We climb, higher and higher, out of our proverbial cave molded by Plato, with Play-Doh, and we look above our wall and see the future. It's here, guys. Quit wishing for draft picks, and thinking it will never end. It's ended Meanwhile, the Jackets suck. Sorry, Columbus, that's just the truth. Though, Saad has 29 goals on the year, and they do have the better Foligno. Still, if Torts doesn't berate anyone into demanding a trade or just pure misery, I'll eat my socks. Columbus is 4-6-0 in their last 10, and are coming off a 5-1 win at Toronto on Wednesday. Game Preview All Stats: Columbus @ Buffalo (4-2 win) Buffalo @ Columbus (4-0 win) Thursday Practice Report Buffalo Lines: Experiments: ZEMGUS GIRGENSONS - RYAN O'REILLY - SCHNEIDER NICOLAS DESLAURIERS - JACK EICHEL - SAM REINHART MARCUS FOLIGNO - JOHAN LARSSON - BRIAN GIONTA MATT MOULSON - DAVID LEGWAND - RODRIGUES One of these is our 2nd leading scorer in our last 24 games: JOSH GORGES - RASMUS RISTOLAINEN JAKE MCCABE - ZACH BOGOSIAN MARK PYSYK - CASEY NELSON

Hello, my baby Hello, my honey Hello, my ragtime gal Give me some goals on fire Baby, my pants are tighter If you refuse me It will abuse me Give this dog a bone Oh baby, tune your tone And bring this season home Yoooouuuuurrrrrr Buffalo Sabres, much like the monster that emerges from a man's chest after dicey space-diner food (change your meals to the soup, folks), your Buffalo Sabres will look to break through the rib cages holding these Rags together, and show the NHL world that yes, we are indeed headed for a 26 point improvement over last season. Coming off a huge win against the Toronto Maple Laughs, the Sabres look to continue their winning ways against a very formidable Rangers team. The Sabres win on Thursday night saw Johan Larsson and COR combine for 4 goals, 2 each, and Kadri being a bigger bitch than Frodo on Mt.Doom. Jack Eichel will look to get a little more touch in his game, and our defense still has....na ###### it, they know they blow The Rangers are 4-3-3 in their last 10, and are coming off a 4-3 loss in Carolina on Thursday. A game in witch Eric Staal proved to Carolina that yes, all of the Staal brothers are indeed overrated. Game Preview All Stats: Buffalo @ NYR (6-3 loss) NYR @ Buffalo (4-2 loss) Friday Practice Report; The Rise of Marcus Foligno Buffalo Lines: DD's Personal Craps Table: ZEMGUS GIRGENSONS - RYAN O'REILLY - HUDSON FASCHING NICOLAS DESLAURIERS - JACK EICHEL - SAM REINHART MARCUS FOLIGNO - JOHAN LARSSON - BRIAN GIONTA CAL O'REILLY - DAVID LEGWAND - MATT MOULSON Soon To Be Unemployed: JOSH GORGES - RASMUS RISTOLAINEN JAKE MCCABE - ZACH BOGOSIAN MARK PYSYK - CASEY NELSON

Last Wallpaper for the 2015/2016 season and the vote was a tie between McCabe and Bogo but since Bogo has performed very good as of late I gave him the tie-braker... ;) Enjoy Youll find it under: http://www.sabreshockeyville.com or the direct picture link here: http://www.pixelpuncher.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/wp_sabres_2016_04.jpg http://www.pixelpuncher.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/wp_sabres_2016_04_wo.jpg

Well, folks, we don't have much left to go, but we have a lot more to play for. This season ain't over yet, and we still have 5 more games left for our rookies to learn, our goalies to get hurt, and at least one more star forward to get arrested. Damn, just typing that I feel like I should have done it in Spanish, and someone should have woken up from a coma. So, grab a beer, strap on your helmets, take off your pants, and eat enough chicken wings for the Surgeon General to ###### off, because you only get to do this 5 more times, and tonight, of all nights, will be the best to watch. The Sabres are coming off a roller coaster of emotions on Tuesday night, one that saw each fan rotate from 6 to midnight more often than Rob Lowe in Paris. Up 3, down 1, tied, breakaways...madness I tell you! It was all madness! And in the midst of it all, we say the hatred for DD finally come to a roiling bubble. I haven't seen line mismanagement like that since Rick James decided Studio 54 wouldn't kick him out. In the end, we learned, with finality, how ###### abysmal our defense is, and how much it truly sucks watching 12c3 of line combinations. (Come on, someone's gotta get that. First one to tell me that number gets candy. I'm not even sure it's the right way to compute that) The Leafs? Well, ###### these guys. Take'm outside and beat'm with a flip flop; tar and feather them with syrup and wasted playoff predictions. You know what's more depressing than the Maple Leafs? Nothing, that's what. Remember this? Anyways, the Leafs, with their 'holier than thou' attitude, have done a complete 180 and are firmly entrenched in a tank. A tank, by the way, which isn't working. Why? Because even when it comes to losing, the Leafs can't win. The Leafs are being out-tanked by the Carrion Heavyweight Edmonton Oilers though; rumors are McDavid no longer drives to the arena, but walks a strange route that takes him over a bridge everyday. The Leafs are 6-4-0 in their last 10, and are coming off a 5-2 win in Florida Game Preview Buffalo Lines: Anyone's Guess: ZEMGUS GIRGENSONS - RYAN O'REILLY - HUDSON FASCHING NICOLAS DESLAURIERS - JACK EICHEL - SAM REINHART MARCUS FOLIGNO - JOHAN LARSSON - BRIAN GIONTA CAL O'REILLY - DAVID LEGWAND - MATT MOULSON Soon To Be Unemployed: JOSH GORGES - RASMUS RISTOLAINEN JAKE MCCABE - ZACH BOGOSIAN MARK PYSYK - CASEY NELSON

Sharpen your pitch forks, grab your torches, and bitch slap the fan next to you, because your Buffalo Sabres are marching down to North Carolina for some pillaging and baby eating. Your Mongol hoard will lay siege to the Hurricanes tonight after coming an insulting defeat at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. Minus Jack Eichel, who was too busy playing a game of 'poop or fart' to play any other games, and hitting the end of a stretch in which they played 3 games in 4 nights, including back-to-backs, the Sabres were pretty much dominated in every facet, and looked nothing like the ravaging hoard of plague wielding, baby eating lunatics that will salt the earth that is the PatheticNutsackCanes Arena tonight. The Hurricanes look more like a rainstorm than anything remotely resembling terrifying. Sitting at 76 points, Rainstorm Carolina is in the perfect position to both a) get a draft pick and b) miss the playoffs. Congrats, Carolina, on treading water just long enough to ensure you lose all 5 of your fans. Carolina has a 3-3-4 record in their last 10, and is currently coming off a 3-2 OT loss in Minnesota on Saturday. Look for Johnson vs Ward. Game Preview All Stats: Carolina @ Buffalo, 2-27-2015, (4-1 win) Carolina @ Buffalo, 3-12-2016, (3-2 win) Monday Practice Report Buffalo: Forwards: 9 Evander Kane – 90 Ryan O'Reilly – 44 Nicolas Deslauriers 28 Zemgus Girgensons – 15 Jack Eichel – 23 Sam Reinhart 82 Marcus Foligno – 22 Johan Larsson – 12 Brian Gionta 19 Cal O'Reilly – 17 David Legwand – 26 Matt Moulson Defense: 4 Josh Gorges – 55 Rasmus Ristolainen 29 Jake McCabe – 47 Zach Bogosian 25 Carlo Colaiacovo – 3 Mark Pysyk Goalies: 40 Robin Lehner 31 Chad Johnson

*Ahem* Yooooouuuuuuurrrrrrr Buuuuuffffffaaallllloooooooo Saaaabbbrrreesssss are reaaadddyyyy tooooo rumble!!!!! We're back in black baby, and ready for action. We've got ROR back, Jack Eichel scoring likes it's his ###### job (which it is), a wizard in Samson Reinhart on his wing, and Captain Insano in net. We. Are. Ready. To Rolllllllll!!!!. Your Buffalo Sabres are currently coming off a 3-2 OT loss, one in which punctuating just how salty the leagues mouth tastes when it comes to the Montreal Canadians, and are looking to come back with a statement win tonight against the divisional rival Ottawa Senators. The loss, however many 'bullshits' were involved, did indeed see the revival of the Sabres power play as ROR made a b-e-a-utiful sauce pass over to 'Bury One, Give One' (@LTS) Bogosian for a questionable goal to say the least. Still, combining that with a little bit o' rough and tough that the refs stopped in order to save Scrivens from testing the Canadian health care system, the Sabres played a good game, and one they should have one. Look for your boys in blue and gold to come out strong tonight, and ruin the annual playoff push that is the Ottawa Senators attempting to legitimize failing to support the best offensive defenseman since Bobby Orr The Senators? These guys? These guys right here? Well, ###### these guys. Sitting at 74 points, 7 outside of the last playoff spot, Ottawa still thinks they can somehow make it in and lose in the first round yet again. Cue the entire Canadian capital going crazy during the offseason, freaking out that they were 'this close' from a legitimate playoff push. Hey Ottawa, wanna know what you're missing? Sam Reinhart, Jack Eichel, Ryan O'Reilly....yeah, centers. Enjoy your misery and the insane contract you shackled Karlsson to while it lasts. Game Preview Stats: All Stats: Ottawa @ Buffalo (3-1 loss) All Stats: Buffalo @ Ottawa (3-2 win) All Stats: Buffalo @ Ottawa (2-1 loss) Thursday Practice Report Buffalo: Forwards: 9 Evander Kane – 90 Ryan O'Reilly – 44 Nicolas Deslauriers 28 Zemgus Girgensons – 15 Jack Eichel – 23 Sam Reinhart 82 Marcus Foligno – 22 Johan Larsson – 12 Brian Gionta 19 Cal O'Reilly – 17 David Legwand – 26 Matt Moulson Defense: 4 Josh Gorges – 55 Rasmus Ristolainen 29 Jake McCabe – 47 Zach Bogosian 25 Carlo Colaiacovo – 3 Mark Pysyk Goalies: 40 Robin Lehner 31 Chad Johnson

Looking for the dynamic duo of Eich and Samson to continue their excellent play. This should be a hard fought game; the Sabres are in it to win it because the kids are taking the team over while ROR watches. The Hurricanes still have a legit shot at a playoff spot. Here's hoping the Sabres can be spoilers this day. Egg's Hot Player is Daniel Catenacci. If he scores, remember you heard it here first! The word of the day is legs. Help spread the word.

I don't think I've ever started a GDT. Wildcard didn't ask me to, he's got visions of figures, words, and diagrams dancing in his head for mid-terms. And not even good figures or diagrams. Buffalo comes home after a mildly chippy shoot-out win against the Marlies last night, looking to give the Rangers fits and cause Henrick to flip his net for some reason. http://sabres.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/preview?id=2015020993 Odds are Lehner is in net for the back-to-back. Whether the Rangers will go Swede for Swede remains to be saw. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdGA8wXWPd0

It's been a while since I did a GDT. Ah, Toronto. My team when I was just a wee boy and the only way to see hockey was to aim the TV antenna across to the other side of Lake Ontario, and the picture was so snowy you had to watch what the players were doing to figure out where the puck was. But it's a new day. Buffalo has an NHL team. The Sabres are on their way back up, Toronto is too I think, but maybe a bit behind us. It should be a good game, mostly because regardless of whether the teams are any good and who's playing on them, these teams hate each other, in the "familiarity breeds contempt" sense of the word. Look for lines similar what we've been seeing out of the Sabres... Season series: The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 in a shootout at First Niagara Center on Oct. 21. Sabres forward Evander Kane scored the game-tying goal with 4:21 remaining in the third period and Matt Moulson scored the shootout winner. Toronto goalie Jonathan Bernier made 34 saves and P.A. Parenteau scored for the Maple Leafs. It looks like a battle of the backups with The Big Johnson and Garret Sparks in goal. The Sabres have been playing decent teams well (even if they lose) and having their way with lesser teams. I see the Sabres making the Leafs look like the Laffs we like to make fun of.

Yooooouuuuurrrrrr Buffalo Sabres will play host to the Calgary Flames tonight as they look to get back into the win column and forget a rather 'because Buffalo' moment last Tuesday night. Buffalo did get some good news today, as Jake McCabe was back at practice after a rough hit last night, and Coach HDDB raved about Eichel's bounce back performance at practice in the wake of McDavi'd triumph. Getting dick slapped so hard your cheek looks like a stencil can really depress a man; combine that with the rumor that McDavid winked at Eichel after scoring the gwg and waved his finger to remind Jack of his drat superiority, and it's pretty easy to rationale Eichel's 40 consecutive end-to-end sprints in practice today, each one culminating with him diving clavicle first into the irons. Bysmla would later lament on Eichel's insistence in carrying his body across the line in his efforts, instead of merely beginning his slide from the blue line and dumping himself in. Meanwhile Ted Nolan heard of the ambitious stunt, and remarked he is currently innovating an entirely new system, and ROR ran naked through the woods doing calculus in his head. The Flames, well, these guys are literally the perfect answer to any teams woes. Like a slump-buster sent from above, the Flames will stumble into the FN'C with all of the allure of daddy issues mixed with her younger sister getting engaged. 1-8-1 in their last 10, the Flames have lost 3 straight, most recently in Boston last Tuesday, falling 2-1. The Flames are a confidence boosting 9-19-3 on the road, and sit 2 point behind Buffalo in the league standings (58 to 56). An excellent candidate to get FN'C'd tonight. And it works, ya know, because their logo is a big C. Hurray for jokes! Buffalo last played Calgary in Calgary and suffered a 4-3 heartbreaking loss, one that saw Ristolainen's first hat trick (a natural one to boot) and a gallant comeback ruined by a Johnson softie. Hopefully Lehner starts tonight Game Preview STATS: All Stats Buffalo @ Calgary(4-3 loss) All Team Rankings Team Comparison Chart Forwards: 9 Evander Kane – 15 Jack Eichel - 23 Sam Reinhart 82 Marcus Foligno – 22 Johan Larsson – 12 Brian Gionta 49 Catenacci - 19 COR - 28 Zemgus Girgensons 44 Nicolas Deslauriers – 17 David Legwand – 26 Matt Moulson/19 Cal O'Reilly Buffalo: Defense: 4 Josh Gorges – 55 Rasmus Ristolainen 29 Jake McCabe – 47 Zach Bogosian 25 Carlo Colaiacovo – 3 Mark Pysyk Someone faster than Franson – 46 Cody Franson Captain Insano: 40 Robin Lehner 31 Chad Johnson

Let's rewind this for a second here, folks. Let's pretend we're all back in April, and playing lawn game with our friends all day, eagerly awaiting the moment where our prophecy is fulfilled, that moment where Connor McDavid comes home to Buffalo. I mean, there were so many signs, right? We tanked, we lost championships, we are loyal hockey fans, hell, even his foster home were ###### Sabre fans. It was, destiny. And we lost. We lost it right there on 1 ping-pong ball, a ball even Forrest Gump wouldn't even pay a second glance at. You know what I say to that? I say, look around you, folks. Look to your Crosbys, Ovechkins, Thorntons, Kellys even; great players don't win championships, great teams do. Now, I know some of you may want to lament our trade deadline. McGinn was a good fit, so was Weber, but we're not there yet, we aren't at the point where we can add, we're at the point where we build. And for all of you losing faith, and it seems like there are a lot of you, I can only ask, why? Our leading scorers are rookies; we have a bonafide #1-2 d-man, our goalie is not only proving to be great on a daily basis, but he's also ###### insane; we have vets to guide the rookies; a GM who has a plan, and an owner who will pay up front to win. Folks, I can't stress this enough, we are on the right path. Too many times do we witness organizations fall into the trap of inevitable losing, perpetual failure. There's only one way to reverse such a drastic process, and it's not band aids, it's stitches and surgery. The surgery is completed, and now we must wait for the stitches to mend. I hear it all the time on here, this fear of becoming the next Edmonton. Guys, I get it, nobody wants to be drafting in the top 5 every year. I understand the frustration. Really, I do. But we're not Edmonton. We are absolutely the exact opposite of these clowns. In one year after 2 consecutive tanks, we're already better than these jokers. They're in a fire sale, and we're rubbing our hands in a menacing manner, laughing as the league takes us for granted. I'm going to this game tonight, and it's the most excited I've been in months. I'm going to start drinking at 5, and by 7pm I'll be sitting in a stadium with 18k other fans, all just as ready as I am to watch Jack Eichel and the Buffalo Sabres show why Connor McDavid alone can't win a championship. I'll cram into my little plastic seat, double fisting 24ozs, grin foolishly at my brother and brother in-law, and with the smile of a 5 year old at Christmas, I'll enjoy every second of this. Because this isn't just another game, folks. No, this is the first every meeting between Jack Eichel and Connor McDavid, the 2 greatest rookies in a decade, and possibly the best players to ever play for their respective countries. And you know what? I can guaran-######-tee you I know in which city both players want to be. Now, I can't feel my fingers in this cold ass house, and keystone pounders may not be the best way to end your night, so I'm sorry for the mistakes, but here we are. Edmonton is 2-6-2 in their last 10, and 7-20-5 on the road. They may not have sold off everything, but this is still the same team that for years has the same personality as Marco Rubio. We're not only going to win this game tonight, we're going to absolutely throat ###### Edmonton into submisson. GET OUT OF YOUR ###### CHAIRS, STOP SULKING. God, I love you all, but just have some faith. It's going to happen, it really will, I promise you. Just enjoy the ride. Bailey was sent down, we lost McGinn, but RJ will be back in full force tonight. So go out and buy some cookies, because even moma can't hide them all on the top shelf when the Sabres decide to stick their hand in the cookie jar. Game Preview STATS: All Stats Buffalo @ Edmonton(4-2 loss) All Team Rankings Team Comparison Chart Forwards: 9 Evander Kane – 15 Jack Eichel - 23 Sam Reinhart 82 Marcus Foligno – 22 Johan Larsson – 12 Brian Gionta 49 Catenacci - 19 COR - 28 Zemgus Girgensons 44 Nicolas Deslauriers – 17 David Legwand – 26 Matt Moulson/19 Cal O'Reilly Defense: 4 Josh Gorges – 55 Rasmus Ristolainen 29 Jake McCabe – 47 Zach Bogosian 25 Carlo Colaiacovo – 3 Mark Pysyk The Ghost of Mike Weber – 46 Cody Franson Captain Insano: 40 Robin Lehner 31 Chad Johnson

The Poll has decided. On the wallpaper in March is ROBIN LEHNER. The poll for the April Wallpaper is up at: http://www.pixelpuncher.de/poll Youll find it under: http://www.sabreshockeyville.com or the direct picture link here: http://www.pixelpuncher.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/wp_sabres_2016_03.jpg http://www.pixelpuncher.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/wp_sabres_2016_03_wo.jpg

Yooooouuuuurrrrrr Buuuuuffffaaaallllloooooo Sabres will head on...down? to San Jose this Friday night to take on the ageless wonders that are the San Jose Sharks. Buffalo last played Wednesday night, suffering a 1-0 shutout loss at the hands of the Mighty Ducks, a loss that saw Anaheim improve their recent stretch to 6-0. The Sabres couldn't get much of anything rolling on Wednesday night. The Ducks' blueprint model of hard, physical play down low and endless cycling in the offensive zone forced Buffalo to spend much of the game inside their own zone; what limited opportunities the Sabres did get they failed to captialize, whether it was a Foligno power move to the net that Anderson saved with his toe or Evander Kane neutering another 3-1. The Sabres, 0-2 since their heart-and-soul (ROR) went out with a foot injury, are truly missing the minutes and situations O'Reilly excels at. Let's hope tonight that Buffalo can turn it around, and maybe we'll see Eichel get back on the point wagon tonight after being held pointless over his last 2. Also, if Risto would come back, October Risto that is, that'd be sweet. In the Sharks, the Sabres are running into the same train that they ran into vs. Anaheim on Wednesday night. The Sharks sit 3rd in their division at 70 points, 2 behind Anaheim, and are 6-3-1 in their last 10. Somehow, after a HC change, a long time captain ripped of his letter, an aging core, and early trade rumors swirling around star players, the Sharks have beaten the odds and look playoff bound once again. San Jose looks to keep it's playoff spot alive, and are coming off a 4-3 loss vs. Colorado on Wednesday night. The last meeting between these two teams saw a Sharks' 2-1 OT winner scored by Patrick Marleau after ROR tied the game at 1-1 in the 3rd. Something big to keep in mind here, SJ's record at home is 11-12-3, vs a road record of 21-9-3. Safe to say the Sharks hate their own tank Game Preview STATS: All Stats San Jose @ Buffalo(2-1 OT loss) All Team Rankings Team Comparison Chart Thursday Practice report Forwards: 9 Evander Kane – 23 Sam Reinhart – 56 Justin Bailey 28 Zemgus Girgensons – 15 Jack Eichel – 88 Jamie McGinn 82 Marcus Foligno – 22 Johan Larsson – 12 Brian Gionta 44 Nicolas Deslauriers – 17 David Legwand – 26 Matt Moulson/19 Cal O'Reilly Defense: 4 Josh Gorges – 55 Rasmus Ristolainen 29 Jake McCabe – 47 Zach Bogosian 25 Carlo Colaiacovo – 3 Mark Pysyk The Ghost of Mike Weber – 46 Cody Franson Captain Insano: 40 Robin Lehner 31 Chad Johnson

So, the first game without ROR was just a little shaky, but that was to be expected, right? Well, let's hope for a better showing tonight as your Buffalo Sabres will start out their California swing against the red-hot Anaheim Ducks. The Sabres will look for a better showing this time around and rebound from their 4-3 loss at the hands of the Penguins on Sunday afternoon. The loss of future captain and current assistant captain was truly evident Sunday afternoon, as the Sabres consistently lost on key face-offs, especially in their own zone, and were forced to throw together lines that saw a an AHL rookie play on the 1st line and Jamie McGinn...well , he's been there all year, so never mind. However, there were some bright spots. Zach Bogosian put up 2 goals in an offensive showing that screams Kane hooked him up at breakfast, and a line led by Johan Larsson really kept Crosby's line in check, and actually shut them down for a large portion of the game. Fingers tied the Sabres recognize the value of Larsson in a DD run team, and choose to keep him. The Ducks have rebounded and rebounded big. Coach Emilio Estevez has his team really believing again, and his V has inspired the team to really work hard and sweat out a full 82 seconds games and go for plan A this time, instead of plan B. The Ducks have gone 8-1-1 in their last 10, have won 5 straight, and are 20-5-3 since they last played the Sabres. It should hardly be surprising given the talent and past finishes of this team, and it looks like the Ducks are once again poised for another playoff disappointment The Sabres will be without Mike Weber, as the long-term Buffalo veteran has been traded to the Washington Capitals for a 2017 3rd round pick. Losing Weber means Cola is in the line-up as Franson is still injured. Game Preview STATS: All Stats Anaheim @ Buffalo(3-0 win) All Team Rankings Team Comparison Chart Tuesday Practice report Forwards: 9 Evander Kane – 23 Sam Reinhart – 56 Justin Bailey 28 Zemgus Girgensons – 15 Jack Eichel – 88 Jamie McGinn 82 Marcus Foligno – 22 Johan Larsson – 12 Brian Gionta 44 Nicolas Deslauriers – 17 David Legwand – 26 Matt Moulson/19 Cal O'Reilly Defense: 4 Josh Gorges – 55 Rasmus Ristolainen 29 Jake McCabe – 47 Zach Bogosian 25 Carlo Colaiacovo – 3 Mark Pysyk The Ghost of Mike Weber – 46 Cody Franson Captain Insano: 40 Robin Lehner 31 Chad Johnson

To get a little, you got to give a little, right? Well, your Buffalo Sabres will get back Evander Kane tonight after a 1 game suspension for missing a team practice the other day, but will sadly return Justin Bailey to the Rochester Amerks to get a little more seasoning in his cousine. Look for a visibly embarrassed Kane to come back full force tonight and remind his teammates that he isn't what everyone in Winnipeg cast him off as. But, you didn't come here for that, did you? No way, you came here for the good news, so sit your ass down, because that's what you're about to get. Your Buffalo Sabres, after playing Slippin Jimmy for 2 games, are 2-0-1 in their last 3, and 3-2-3 in their last 8. Now, that may not seem like a lot to some of you, but that's huge progress for a team where the two leading scorers are rookies. That stat right there tells me that not only are we winning, but that we're competitive too. The team is starting to come together folks, and now we can fasten our seat belts (how the is that not one word?) and watch the scoring race between Evander, ROR, Reinhart, and Eichel. All under contract, all under 25, and all extremely talented. Throw in Drago on the blue line, and maybe a little Finnish spice and some Cam Fowler, and we're in business. Now, who better for the Sabres to face than the team that gifted them Jack Eichel? We all owe Cam Atkinson a beer for that one. Yet, here's the catch. For whatever Nolan-esk reason, Torts has the Jackets playing much better these days. 6-1-3 in their last 10, the BJ's have stepped out of the basement and sit tied with Buffalo at 53 points in 58 games. The Jackets are 4-2 in their last 6, and are coming off a 2-1 loss against the Bruins on Tuesday night. The last time these teams squared off, I think we can all remember this goal. Game Preview (It's wrong, Jack did not score his first goal against Columbus) STATS: All Stats Columbus @ Buffalo (3-1 win) (NA) All Team Rankings Team Comparison Chart Thursday Practice report Forwards: 9 Evander Kane – 90 ROR– 23 Sam Reinhart 88 Jamie McGinn – 15 Jack Eichel – 56 Justin Bailey 82 Marcus Foligno – 22 Johan Larsson – 12 Brian Gionta 44 Nicolas Deslauriers – 17 David Legwand – 26 Matt Moulson Defense: 4 Josh Gorges – 55 Rasmus Ristolainen 29 Jake McCabe – 47 Zach Bogosian 3 Mark Pysyk – 46 Cody Franson 6 Mike Weber – 25 Carlo Colaiacovo Goalies: 40 Robin Lehner 31 Chad Johnson Power Play First Unit Catenacci-Eichel-Reinhart-McGinn-Ristolainen Second Unit Kane-Moulson-Gionta-Bogosian-Pysyk

(ahem)......Yooooooouuuuuuuuurrrrrr Buffalo Sabres will stroll on up to Canada's capital tonight for a division showdown against the revamped Ottawa Senators. The Sabres, having won 2 straight and earned points in 6 out of their last 8, will look to continue their winning ways and cling to the hope that is a playoff spot. Coming off a 4-1 win against Colorado on Sunday afternoon, the Sabres started hot early with a beautiful coast to coast goal from Jack Eichel and a responding Reinhart goal later on, one that saw the rookies continue their torrid race to lead the team in goals. Evander Kane also scored early on, and appears to have finally found his way in Buffalo as his recent hot streak has him at 16 goals now, 1 behind Reinhart, Eichel, and ROR for the team lead, despite having played 10 less games. Kane's recent antics will cost him yet another game, no doubt a power move by Evander as his self-sabotage will only make his eventual goal totals even that much more impressive. Ahhh, the Senators. Let's just say that the first blockbuster of the NHL world hasn't really paid off so far for Ottawa. Losers of 3 straight and 3-7 in their last 10, Brian Murray's gamble to vault his team into playoff contention has, thus far, completely back-fired, leaving Ottawa 8 points back of playoff contention, and a mere 4 points ahead of the team engineered by his nephew, the Sabres. The Sabres and Senators enter tonight's game with a 1-1 season tie in the series, with Buffalo winning the most recent contest 3-2 right before the ASB. The win featured 2 additions to the Eichel tower, and a towering performance by ex-Senator Robin Lehner, who's Davie Crockett impression single-handedly saved the game for the last 12 minutes of the 3rd. The Sabres will be without Evander Kane for his antics. Look for Lehner to start. Jack has 3 goals against Ottawa in his young career so far, including his first NHL goal Game Preview STATS: All Stats OBuffalo @ Ottawa(3-2 win) All Team Rankings Team Comparison Chart Monday Practice report Forwards: 88 Jamie McGinn – 90 Ryan O'Reilly – 23 Sam Reinhart 28 Zemgus Girgensons – 15 Jack Eichel – 26 Matt Moulson 82 Marcus Foligno – 22 Johan Larsson – 12 Brian Gionta 44 Nicolas Deslauriers – 17 David Legwand – 56 Justin Bailey Defensemen: 4 Josh Gorges, 55 Rasmus Ristolainen, 29 Jake McCabe, 47 Zach Bogosian, 3 Mark Pysyk, 46 Cody Franson, 6 Mike Weber, 25 Carlo Colaiacovo Goalies: 40 Robin Lehner 31 Chad Johnson

For some, maybe even for most, this is the team to hate. The Fog Game, the brawls of the late 90's, the Umberger hit, the 98 playoff series and brawl. This was everything you could possibly hate if you were lucky enough to watch hockey back then. So, because I'm a little tired, and some of these clips and pics could do a way better job and stoking the fire for some of you that watched those games, here you go: The Sabres will look to bounce back after having a 4 game point streak snapped. After losing 7-4 in epic fashion against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night, Buffalo looks to drink deep from the character created from that loss, one that saw continual comebacks, a pissed of Jack Eichel, and Evander Kane going 3-0 in fights. Lehner was pulled after giving up 4 goals in barely over 1 period of work. McCabe got a taste at forward, and ROR was double-shifted a ton to make up for the unexpected losses of Girgensons and Larsson Larsson and Girgensons are still questionable, though one or both is unlikely to play given the call up of Justin Bailey from Rochester. Bailey will make his first ever NHL appearance, and it couldn't be more fitting to have it come against an old Sabres rival, perhaps the oldest rival indeed. Game Preview STATS: All Stats Buffalo @ Philly (3-1 win) All Stats Buffalo @ Florida (4-3 OT win) All Team Rankings Team Comparison Chart Wednesday Practice Report Forwards: Nicolas Deslauriers - Ryan O'Reilly - Jamie McGinn Evander Kane - Sam Reinhart - Brian Gionta Marcus Foligno - Jack Eichel - Matt Moulson Daniel Catenacci - David Legwand - Justin Bailey Blue-Liners: Zach Bogosian - Mark Pysyk Josh Gorges - Rasmus Ristolainen Mike Weber - Cody Franson Goalies: 40 Robin Lehner 31 Chad Johnson By the way, those videos are ###### awesome. That hockey was so much damn fun to watch. Made me rethink my position about some things

Yooouuuuurrrrr Buffalo Sabres will become your local zoo Tuesday night as they look to tame the ferocious Florida Panthers in a division grudge match that pits those who are free-falling vs those that are sky rocketing. The Sabres, unfortunately, are the former. Stuck at 4 straight losses and a continuing downward trend further and further away from that elusive .500 mark, Buffalo will look to rebound against a tough Panthers team tonight. The Sabres seem to play the wrong game on the wrong nights; we score 3 goals over 3 games with great goal tending, and then scoring 3 in one game and Johnson blows it. But hey, Jagr is due for a stroke and I hear panthers don't do well this far north, so we could have something here. The Panthers meanwhile, are the hottest team in the league (seriously this is become bull-######. I write a ton of these, and Detroit, Washington, LA, and Dallas all had like 7 game winning streaks when we met them. ###### A'.) Florida has won a franchise record 9 straight, as Barkov and Jagr have become the leagues new dynamic duo and Luongo looks like the goalie that took the Canucks to the Cup. Guess who sits at the top of our division right now? No, not Montreal, and no, not Tampa Bay. Yes, it's these Florida Panthers. They've started selling out crowds and the kids look for real. Look for Ullmark to start (thank God), and Luongo to get the start. The Panthers are without David Bolland, and the Sabres are without Pysyk, Ennis, and Des. Schaller has been called up to become Matt Ellis 2.0 Game Preview STATS: All Stats Buffalo @ Florida (3-2 loss) All Stats Buffalo @ Florida (3-2 win) All Team Rankings Team Comparison Chart Monday Practice Report (Lines per Liger) Forwards: Kane - O'Reilly - Reinhart Girgensons - Eichel - McGinn Moulson - Larsson - Gionta Foligno - Schaller - Legwand Defense: Gorges - Ristolainen McCabe - Bogosian Colaiacovo - Franson Weber - Pysyk Goalies: The Swede We Need

The Buffalo Sabres will play host to division rivals the Detroit Red Wings Saturday in a little bit of afternoon delight to kick off the new year. Buffalo has had a tough time of it of late, losing 3 straight including 2 against the leagues best team in the Caps. Most recently, Buffalo's shot barrage method against the Islanders yielded a 2-1 loss, as Buffalo continued to struggle offensively, scoring 3 goals in the last 3 games combined. The return and subsequent loss of Tyler Ennis proved little difference in the Sabres scoring, and one starts to wonder just how valuable Pysyk is, and how much longer Reinhart stays with ROR. The Red Wings find themselves in a similar struggle. Losers of 3 straight, Detroit will look to rebound from a 5-2 loss against Pittsburgh last Thursday, a contest that saw Mrazek go 32/36. The Wings are also struggling to find the right line combinations, and many are starting to question rookie coach Blashill's combinations. Blashill's team find themselves at 43 points for the 2nd WC spot, a 1 point lead ahead of Ottawa The Red Wings may be without Jurco (UBI), and Buffalo will miss Pysyk and Ennis (maybe). Look for Mrazek to get the start. Game Preview STATS: All Stats Buffalo @ Detroit (5-4 SO loss) All Stats Buffalo @ Detroit (2-1 win) All Team Rankings Team Comparison Chart Friday Practice Report Buffalo: Forwards: 88 Jamie McGinn – 90 Ryan O’Reilly – 23 Sam Reinhart 28 Zemgus Girgensons – 15 Jack Eichel – 12 Brian Gionta 9 Evander Kane – 22 Johan Larsson – 26 Matt Moulson 44 Nicolas Deslauriers – 17 David Legwand – 82 Marcus Foligno Defense: 4 Josh Gorges – 55 Rasmus Ristolainen 25 Carlo Colaiacovo – 47 Zach Bogosian 6 Mike Weber – 46 Cody Franson Johnsons: 31 Chad Johnson 35 Linus Ullmark 40 Robin Lehner

The first one for 2016. Happy New Year Folks! Youll find it under: www.sabreshockeyville.com or the direct picture link here: http://www.pixelpuncher.de/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/wp_sabres_2016_01.jpg http://www.pixelpuncher.de/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/wp_sabres_2016_01_wo.jpg