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Philly is always a good game. Some of the best Sabres games I can remember are against the Flyers. No matter where each team is in the standings, these games are usually intensely competitive for two teams from different divisions. EDIT: Line Updates (the picture from DailyFaceOff does not match morning skate): 48-Carrier 90-ROR 21-Okposo 82-Foligno 15-Eichel 12-Gionta 9-Kane 23-Reinhart 56-Bailey 44-DeslaurierS 28-GirgensonS 26-MoulsonS Starting goalies are likely to be Nilsson (Lehner has the flu... musta been kissing Carrier) and Mason. Jack and Sam back together, hopefully the magic will be strong. In fact the top three lines look like they can put some points up. Let's hope they score early and often.

Having beaten the Rangers, the Sabres are a good team again, right? Right? Well whatever. The past is passed and it's time for the Sabres to prove themselves all over again. Let's hope they can get rolling. I'm not going to bother with the DaileyFaceOff pretty picture because, well, they're not keeping up very well. I'm gonna go with the lines in practice Wednesday with the hope that ROR will be ready to go against the Blackhawks: Sabres Lines: 82 Marcus Foligno - 15 Jack Eichel - 21 Kyle Okposo 9 Evander Kane - 23 Sam Reinhart - 56 Justin Bailey 27 Derek Grant - 90 Ryan O'Reilly - 12 Brian Gionta 44 Nicolas Deslauriers - 28 Zemgus Girgensons - 26 Matt Moulson 4 Josh Gorges - 55 Rasmus Ristolainen 47 Zach Bogosian - 6 Cody Franson 41 Justin Falk - 38 Taylor Fedun Nilsson in goal. Blackhawks Lines: 72 Artemi Panarin - 15 Artem Anisimov - 88 Patrick Kane 24 Spencer Abbott - 19 Johnathan Toews - 81 Marian Hossa 38 Ryan Hartman - 67 Tanner Kero - 14 Richard Panik 11 Andrew Desjardins - 70 Dennis Rasmussen - 48 Vince Hinostroza 2 Duncan Keith - 4 Niklas Hjalmarsson 41 Brian Campbell - 7 Brent Seabrook 6 Machal Kempny - Trevor van Riemsdyk 50 Corey Crawford Go Sabres!

Something something future is now mumble mumble. More adversity. Can they rise to the occasion? Go Sabres!

GAME ON!

The Sabres are starting to look like they can play, but they're still at the bottom of the standings... well, except for the Islanders, the only team behind us in the conference. We should be able to win this game, and we HAVE to win this game if we have any designs on climbing into the playoff race. The Sabres "problem" now is that players are getting healthy and DD needs to figure out who plays where, and who sits. For instance, Daily Face Off shows the roster below, but that doesn't take into account that both Fedun and Bogo fully participated in practice Thursday. Can either of them play? If they do, who sits? If Bogo's ready, Falk sits I think, but if Fedun is ready, does he play? Has he shown enough to give Franson or Gorges a rest (even if only for a game or so)? Tune in closer to game time to see what the roster really looks like. Also of note, Kaner is still on the 4th line. The way DD rolls his lines one or two players at a time, that may give him some ice time with the first line, as happened when he scored his third period goal Tuesday. Will that be enough to stoke is apparently fragile ego (come on, man, smile when you score)? Well, maybe if he scores again... The Isles are coming off a 5-4 loss to Chicago Thursday night. Hopefully the Sabres can take advantage of their defense and put up a bunch of goals again. If the Sabres can start hard and keep the pedal to the metal, the Islanders should be tired by the third, playing their second game is as many nights. Tavares continues to impress, but deeper into the lineup the talent isn't there. All three of these players are in the Sabres organization now- Ullmark, Gus and Okposo :)

I'm tired so.... Let's crush Boston! Lineup notes: Apparently DD is playing Line Partner Bingo. Look for Lehner back in goal for the Sabres. Guhle replaces Gorges, but don't know if he will be paired with Franson.

Game 2 with Jack back. Can the Sabres sustain the intensity of the first period last game? Can they tighten up the back end? Is this truly Jack's team? We find out the answers to these questions, and more, tonight.

JACK'S BACK The night we've all been waiting for: Jack Eichel and Your Buffalo Sabres start the season.... for realz this time. Now it's not quite official but I'd be shocked if we don't see Jack on the ice tonight. The Sabres have taken 3 of 4 points from Ottawa so far this year. This is a good rivalry game, and a great time for Jack to come out scoring. Let's take it to the Senators! And now, a word from our MODO:

It is here. Yeah, it's preseason. It's still exciting as ######. Man, I'm PUMPED.

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

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

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.

This could be a trap in more than one way. After beating quality opponents the last two games, will the Sabres let up against the New Jersey Devils, a team barely in playoff position? Will the Devils use their famous trap defense to limit our scoring chances? Will Admiral Ackbar warn the Sabres just in a nick of time? The Sabres look to extend a budding win streak by exorcising the Devils at the FnC. A climb back toward a wildcard spot can only happen if the Sabres take care of business with every win they can get. The Devils, meanwhile, will try to bounce back from their second shutout of the season Sunday night against the Isles. Against the Red Wings the Sabres found the Swede that we needed when Johan Larsson scored the winning goal late in the 3rd period. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say the other Swede that we need, Linus Ullmark, will get the start on the second half of a back-to-back. Game Preview STATS: All Stats New Jersey @ Buffalo, 1st meeting, 4-3 loss All Team Rankings Team Comparison Chart PROJECTED LINEUP FORWARDS: 88 Jamie McGinn – 90 Ryan O'Reilly – 23 Sam Reinhart 9 Evander Kane – 15 Jack Eichel – 26 Matt Moulson 28 Zemgus Girgensons – 22 Johan Larsson – 12 Brian Gionta 44 Nicolas Deslauriers – 17 David Legwand – 82 Marcus Foligno DEFENSE: 4 Josh Gorges – 55 Rasmus Ristolainen 29 Jake McCabe – 47 Zach Bogosian 6 Mike Weber – 46 Cody Franson HEROES: 31 Chad Johnson 35 Linus Ullmark

Your Buffalo Sabres will head into Joe Louis Arena to face the Detroit Red Wings for a Monday night clash between divisional foes. The Sabres will look to build on what was a fantastic Saturday night win against one of the best teams in the league as they were able to pull out the OT win thanks to ROR. As Flagg noted, ROR not only leads the team in points, but has more than Ovechkin, Crosby, Malkin, and Tavares, all while playing a better overall game as well. Ristolainen showed he can play the tough game as he stood up Lucic more than once, and was constantly making life rough for LA's stars. McGinn continued to be hot with another goal, Linus Ullmark came up huge when it mattered, and Matty Moulson looked to be improving, hopefully indicated his goal-less drought is at a finish. The Detroit Red Wings have been one of the hottest teams in the league as of late. Coming in at 7-0-6 in their 13 game point streak, the Red Wings sit at 2nd in our Atlantic Division. No strangers to OT, the Red Wings beat the Sabres 5-4 in OT in Detroit in their first meeting of the season, one that saw the Sabres climb back in the 3rd only to relinquish the lead on some poor defense, despite Linus making 42 saves and Risto having 3 assists. The Red Wings are notorious for fast starts and bad finishes, and are no strangers to OT. The Red Wings are sorely missing Drew Miller, who's absence due to injury has caused Detroit's pk to be at 66.7% ever since. Likewise the Sabres desperately miss the offensive catalyst that is Pysyk, and the forward depth and dynamic that Ennis can bring. Given Ullmark's performance last Saturday and Mrazek getting the majority of starts in Detroit, look for both of them to start. Good luck with that guess though Game Preview STATS: All Stats Buffalo @ Detroit, 1st meeting; 5-4 OT loss All Team Rankings Team Comparison Chart Sunday Practice Report; the friendship of ROR and McGinn Forwards: 88 Jamie McGinn – 90 Ryan O’Reilly – 23 Sam Reinhart 9 Evander Kane – 15 Jack Eichel – 26 Matt Moulson 28 Zemgus Girgensons – 22 Johan Larsson – 12 Brian Gionta 44 Nicolas Deslauriers – 17 David Legwand/19 Cal O’Reilly – 82 Marcus Foligno Defense: 4 Josh Gorges – 55 Rasmus Ristolainen 25 Carlo Colaiacovo – 47 Zach Bogosian 6 Mike Weber – 46 Cody Franson (McCabe maintenance day) Victims: 35 Linus Ullmark 31 Chad Johnson