GDT: Buffalo @ San Jose, 10:30 pm est, 2-26-2016

[WildCard]

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

Sabres team scope: After getting shut out in the opener of a three-game California road trip, 1-0 against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, Buffalo will try to get more bodies to the net to disrupt the rhythm of the goaltender, and continue to play strong in front of their own net. "It's something we want to get better at for sure," goalie Robin Lehner told the Sabres website. "But it's a skill. It's a skill, it's not something you just do, it's a skill of getting there, it's a skill of getting in the goalie's face, it's a skill of reading off each other. It's something we've got to work on." Lehner has given up one goal or fewer in four of his past five starts, but is 2-2-1 in that stretch despite a .956 save percentage.

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

 

[Norcal]

First live look at the team this year. Hopefully Sam and Jack will score a few, Lehner will start and some Shark will get beat up near my seats. Sucks no ROR! Let's Go Boys!!!!

[Rasmus_]

Go Sam Reinhart!  Go Jack Eichel!

[TrueBlueGED]

Bold prediction: we score more goals than we have people watching the game in the 3rd period.

[PASabreFan]

I for one have been shooting Five Hour Energy drinks for 15 hours. I am ready! No Kane out there for warmups... uh oh

[inkman]

I for one have been shooting Five Hour Energy drinks for 15 hours. I am ready! No Kane out there for warmups... uh oh

Antics! Trading antics for semantics!!

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Another way past my bed time start time.

 

I look forward to a Reader's Digest style summary tomorrow morning.

 

GO SABRES!!

[Rasmus_]

Bold prediction: we score more goals than we have people watching the game in the 3rd period.

 

Makes sense, as much as I'd like to stay up, I am on call all weekend.  Starting at 12AM.  BLEH. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Antics! Trading antics for semantics!!

 

Post of the thread, so far.

[French Collection]

Will Chad Johnson start to audition for a Sharks backup job?

[That Aud Smell]

I loved the idea floated yesterday on the radio that Chad might suit up for the Sharks.

[Derrico]

Bold prediction: we score more goals than we have people watching the game in the 3rd period.

Friday night, we will get some more troops for tonight's tilt.  Plus we always beat the Sharks so you know it's a nearly guaranteed win.

 

WC, love that you incorporated that picture of the Sabres tail.  Just out of curiosity who were the three Sabres all bunched together?

[darksabre]

Friday night, we will get some more troops for tonight's tilt.  Plus we always beat the Sharks so you know it's a nearly guaranteed win.

 

WC, love that you incorporated that picture of the Sabres tail.  Just out of curiosity who were the three Sabres all bunched together?

Excuse me, but it's called the Sabrepede. 

[Derrico]

Excuse me, but it's called the Sabrepede. 

I was trying to recall the term.  Nice.

[TrueBlueGED]

How bad is it that Hodgson might have the best coverage in that picture? Look at him cover the point with ferocity!

[WildCard]

IIRC we won that game too

[Derrico]

IIRC we won that game too

It was against the Sharks.  Of course we won.

 

We haven't lost to them since 1935.

Edited February 26, 2016 by Derrico

[Randall Flagg]

That was the game that the Sharks won but the refs never saw Myers kick the puck out of the net in the 3rd or OT, I forget when.

[Hoss]

If you're Murray/Bylsma do you sit McGinn out of either of these next two games?

[Taro T]

It was against the Sharks.  Of course we won.

 

We haven't lost to them since 1935.

By rights, the Sabres should be stomped, but there is the above.

 

When in San Jose, always go w/ the guys w/ the red eyed bison on their chests!

 

Sabres 3 - Snarks 1.

[#freejame]

I for one have been shooting Five Hour Energy drinks for 15 hours. I am ready! No Kane out there for warmups... uh oh

I didn't realize there was another all-star game last night.

 

It was against the Sharks.  Of course we won.

 

We haven't lost to them since 1935.

Yeah but that loss set us back 65 years #neveragain

 

If you're Murray/Bylsma do you sit McGinn out of either of these next two games?

I don't, only because it's an awful message to send to the team. If GMTM is that concerned about injury I think he would have moved him by now.

[DarthEbriate]

IIRC we won that game too

Yup. Thornton assisted on a goal shortly after the 'pede appeared. But we stuck with our unconventional defenses and got the win.

[LTS]

Today is a great day so far... tonight is shaping up for a celebration... so I should be inebriated and watching the game.. or something.

 

Go Sabres! 

 

Personally I can't wait until tomorrow when they start at 11pm.  

[woods-racer]

Today is a great day so far... tonight is shaping up for a celebration... so I should be inebriated and watching the game.. or something.

 

Go Sabres! 

 

Personally I can't wait until tomorrow when they start at 11pm.  

 

Drunk and posting on SS while watching the game leads to having to read the entire thread again the next morning, just to make sure you didn't do anything too stupid.

 

Here's to an early AM re-read!  :beer:

[clintwestwood]

Just met O'Reilly in the Amherst St Wegmans sub line. Really nice guy. Has that damn boot on. No one else there even looked at him twice, and there I was fan girling.