jsb Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 (edited) ESPN Preview http://www.espn.com/nhl/preview?gameId=400962225 ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Due to the World Junior Hockey Championship being played in their arena, the Buffalo Sabres have not had a true home game since Dec. 22 and won't again play in front of their home fans until Tuesday. But Sabres coach Phil Housley will at least get a taste of home on Thursday when his team visits Minnesota to face the Wild. Housley's family still lives in the Twin Cities suburbs, where his wife Karin is a Republican state senator and has recently announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate. As for the campaign that Phil Housley is running in Buffalo, the team is still solidly in last place in the Eastern Conference, but the first-year Sabres coach is seeing some signs of hope. After their overtime loss to the New York Rangers in the Winter Classic on New Year's Day, the Sabres have collected at least a point in four of their last five games. "A lot easier, believe me. Early on in the season there were a lot of struggles and a lot of games we were in were one-goal games or we were even. We were just cracking at the wrong time, making a critical mistake at the wrong time, and they were tough," Housley said. "It was tough on our hockey club and our coaches because we kept trying to grind it out and trying to find different areas where we could improve. We're playing a better brand of hockey now. You can see the confidence growing in our guys. ... There are times when we bend but we don't break, which is a credit to our team." Buffalo's players have noticed a new, better feeling, both on the ice and in the locker room. "We're definitely making strides and playing more consistently the way we want to play, which is usually a good sign," said forward Jason Pominville, who will be returning to Minnesota after the Wild traded him to Buffalo over the summer. The Wild opened 2018 with a decisive 5-1 win over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, getting two goals each from Matt Cullen and Eric Staal. They were boosted by the return of Zach Parise to their lineup after the star left winger had missed the first half of the season due to back surgery. "I felt really good from the start," said Parise, who had three shots and skated more than 13 minutes versus the Panthers. "Kind of re-learning different spots on the ice where you get pressured. But that'll come. Conditioning-wise, everything else actually felt really good." Wild coach Bruce Boudreau sounded confident after the Florida game that they may inch closer to full health soon with the return of forward Nino Niederreiter, who has missed five games with a lower-body injury. Niederreiter was a full participant in the Wild's practice on Wednesday and Boudreau expects him in the lineup versus Buffalo. Minneapolis Star Tribune Preview http://www.startribune.com/sports/wild/ Former Wild winger Jason Pominville (29) and first-year Sabres coach Phil Housley, a Minnesota native, visit Xcel Energy Center for the first and only time this season on Thursday. Homestand continues Preview: The Wild concludes a brief two-game homestand against the Sabres, whom the Wild defeated 5-4 on Nov. 22. Since Nov. 14, the Wild is tied for second in the NHL in home points (21). This is the Sabres’ first game since they fell 3-2 in overtime to the Rangers at the Winter Classic. Overall, Buffalo has collected at least a point in three games in a row (1-0-2). Players to watch: Center Jack Eichel leads the Sabres in points with 35. Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen has scored in each of the past two games. Former Wild winger Jason Pominville has eight goals and 16 points, and former Wild defenseman Marco Scandella has zero goals and 10 assists. Numbers: Center Matt Cullen is one point shy of 700 for his career. The Wild is 7-1-1 when center Eric Staal records two or more points. Seven of the 10 all-time games between the Wild and Sabres at Xcel Energy Center have been decided by one goal. Buffalo is 7-5-5 when scoring first. LET'S GO BUFFALO VS Edited January 4, 2018 by jsb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGR4GM Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 oh thank god, I could barely muster the effort to start a GDT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkman Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 So. Many. Words. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTS Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 Hopefully able to watch some of this after watching Team USA today. Going to be a really tough game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darksabre Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 I think I'm tuning out until something interesting happens with the roster. Zero meaningful games left now that the Winter Classic is over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyldnwoody44 Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 SS meet up!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darksabre Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 SS meet up!!!! Like I said... :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyldnwoody44 Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 Like I said... :P Are you just mad you weren't invited ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darksabre Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 Are you just mad you weren't invited ;) biatch imma be there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derrico Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 Common Sabrespace. I think the team is actually turning a corner here. Points in 9 of the last 12 or something. They were unwatchable in October and November. Atleast the team is playing much better as of late. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabres Fan in NS Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 Common Sabrespace. I think the team is actually turning a corner here. Points in 9 of the last 12 or something. They were unwatchable in October and November. Atleast the team is playing much better as of late. That's the spirit, my friend. Watch out thought. Angry d4rk will be after you. :P ;) +++++ Another tough game. GO SABRES!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyldnwoody44 Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 biatch imma be there I'll be waiting.... Bring your lunch money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsb Posted January 4, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 Common Sabrespace. I think the team is actually turning a corner here. Points in 9 of the last 12 or something. They were unwatchable in October and November. Atleast the team is playing much better as of late. YouBeRite That's the spirit, my friend. Watch out thought. Angry d4rk will be after you. :P ;) +++++ GO SABRES!! ThatBeRite2, He be very much on the d4rk side lately Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabre1974 Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 getting our game live in winnipeg tommorow night. 1am Uk time, excellent!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IKnowPhysics Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 Must win. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabre1974 Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 Can we please score a first period goal tonight!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 I’m confused. Am I supposed to root for a win, or a good effort and better odds of Dahlin? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darksabre Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 I’m confused. Am I supposed to root for a win, or a good effort and better odds of Dahlin? Oh yeah baby that's the stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brawndo Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 #Sabres lines: Girgensons-Eichel-Reinhart, Kane-ROR-Okposo, Pouliot-Erod-Pominville, Larsson-Josefson-Nolan. #Sabres D: Scandella-Ristolainen, McCabe-Bogosian, Beaulieu-Falk. Gorges and Wilson extra. Per Harrington Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthEbriate Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 I’m confused. Am I supposed to root for a win, or a good effort and better odds of Dahlin? Win or win not. There is no effort. Never tell me the odds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apuszczalowski Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 I’m confused. Am I supposed to root for a win, or a good effort and better odds of Dahlin?obviously a good effort loss cause tanking is the only way to truly build an elite team and win! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samson's Flow Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 I'll keep watching looking for signs of life from this team, and while the results have been better lately I still don't see them dominating the play enough to consistently win. Watching the good teams in the World Juniors it is clear how far we need to go to be a winning NHL team. WJC Canada, USA and Sweden are noticeably better than every other team and dominate possession and convert that into dangerous scoring chances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkman Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 I’m confused. Am I supposed to root for a win, or a good effort and better odds of Dahlin? I'm rooting for a butt goal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randall Flagg Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 Pominville and Reinhart each had 1 point in December. It's looking ugly for those two, though one is a lot more problematic than the other going forward. For what it's worth, maybe nothing, we have improved in some areas - last season we outshot our opponents 25 times, and this year through half the season we're already at 20. Other stats don't look as good. *shrugs*Even though we've passed the point where a similar looking core to what we have right now has a chance of winning playoff series at some point soon, it is still important that they figure out how to win hockey games, and I expect nothing less than these guys working their off to do it. I'm encouraged by their play lately in that department. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob_sauve28 Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 #Sabres lines: Girgensons-Eichel-Reinhart, Kane-ROR-Okposo, Pouliot-Erod-Pominville, Larsson-Josefson-Nolan. #Sabres D: Scandella-Ristolainen, McCabe-Bogosian, Beaulieu-Falk. Gorges and Wilson extra. Per Harrington Oh no, Falk?? Pominville and Reinhart each had 1 point in December. It's looking ugly for those two, though one is a lot more problematic than the other going forward. For what it's worth, maybe nothing, we have improved in some areas - last season we outshot our opponents 25 times, and this year through half the season we're already at 20. Other stats don't look as good. *shrugs* Even though we've passed the point where a similar looking core to what we have right now has a chance of winning playoff series at some point soon, it is still important that they figure out how to win hockey games, and I expect nothing less than these guys working their ###### off to do it. I'm encouraged by their play lately in that department. I didn't know it was that bad for Samson and Pommer! Wow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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