GDT: 1/15/15: WILD (18-19-5) at SABRES (14-27-3) TV: FS-N, FS-WI, MSG-B, BELL TV - 7 PM

[26CornerBlitz]

vs.

NHL.com Game Preview

[NHL]726181[/NHL]

Season series: Nino Niederreiter's first NHL hat trick lifted the Minnesota Wild to a 6-3 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 13 at Xcel Energy Center. Minnesota is 5-1-2 in its past eight games against Buffalo.

MYERS SETS UP IN FRONT ON POWER PLAY

Sabres seek spark on special teams; Stewart likely back in Thursday

By Chris Ryndak - Sabres.com

Sabres In :90 (1/14/15) - 2:03 Mins
[NHL]726027[/NHL]

WEDNESDAY VIDEO
Ted Nolan
Tyler Myers
Tyler Ennis

WEDNESDAY’S PRACTICE
26 Matt Moulson – 28 Zemgus Girgensons – 63 Tyler Ennis
65 Brian Flynn – 17 Torrey Mitchell – 21 Drew Stafford – 12 Brian Gionta
19 Cody Hodgson – 84 Philip Varone – 80 Chris Stewart
44 Nicolas Deslauriers – 20 Zac Dalpe – 37 Matt Ellis – 36 Patrick Kaleta

4 Josh Gorges – 57 Tyler Myers
51 Nikita Zadorov – 55 Rasmus Ristolainen
6 Mike Weber – 41 Andrej Meszaros
61 Andre Benoit – 24 Tyson Strachan

1 Jhonas Enroth
34 Michal Neuvirth

POWER PLAY
First Unit
Stewart-Girgensons-Ennis
Ristolainen-Zadorov

Second Unit
Moulson-Flynn-Myers
Gorges-Meszaros

[nhl]725973[/nhl]
Wild's Suter suspended two games for elbowing

Sabres Digital Press Box Game Preview: 1/15/15 vs. MIN

GAME NOTES PDF

PRESS CLIPS PDF

Click to read more...

 

[Zman5778]

That 2nd PP unit. The vaunted "3D, 2F" lineup.............

 

[Tapu Coco]

That 2nd PP unit. The vaunted "3D, 2F" lineup.............

I'd imagine that Nolan's probably trying to park Myers in front of the net like the Bruins do with Chara

 

[SamuraiArt]

I'd imagine that Nolan's probably trying to park Myers in front of the net like the Bruins do with Chara

Bill Hoppe confirms that's exactly what they're doing.

http://www.buffalohockeybeat.com/sabres-tinker-with-power-play-nikita-zadorov-to-return/

So the Sabres tried something very different toward the end of today’s 90-minute practice, putting 6-foot-8 defenseman Tyler Myers in front of the net on the power play.

Why not, right? Boston often puts hulking defenseman Zdeno Chara in front.

“You put a big man there, you can draw a little bit more attention than trying to cover him on the point,†Sabres coach Ted Nolan said inside the First Niagara Center. “It takes two guys to cover him in front of the net. So maybe that’ll spark our power play a little bit.â€

 

[DJN21]

Bill Hoppe confirms that's exactly what they're doing.

http://www.buffalohockeybeat.com/sabres-tinker-with-power-play-nikita-zadorov-to-return/

If it werent Gorges with the other point shot Id really like this experiment, honestly I'd rather see benoit or a forward with the point shot opposite Mez than Gorges

 

[Paxon]

Calling a Myers broken foot/hand/face from a point shot on the PP

 

[DJN21]

Calling a Myers broken foot/hand/face from a point shot on the PP

lolz the ultimate tank for mceichel move?

 

[Paxon]

lolz the ultimate tank for mceichel move?

As tank as I am I sure hope something like that doesn't happen, it just seems like what would happen the one time we try Myers up front with our luck.

 

[Billy Mays Here*]

Careful gentlemen, if you string together a few wins we might be able to out tank you.

 

[wunderpanda]

Great idea to use Myers in front of the net, shame they won't even enter the offensive zone on the powerplay to see if it works.

 

[BananaSquad]

How Hodgson and Stafford arent on the 2nd PP unit is just laughable. Gorges, Flynn and Mez seriously.... Ted Nolan sometimes, just gotta shake your head.

 

[ZeroPT*]

Careful gentlemen, if you string together a few wins we might be able to out tank you.

what is this "win" you speak of? Is it a type of injury?

 

[WILDTATE10]

the battle of 6 losses in a row vs. 8 losses in a row. The Wild are coming in hot for McDavid

 

[Bobby Bottle Service]

the battle of 6 losses in a row vs. 8 losses in a row. The Wild are coming in hot for McDavid

Minny not playing so well. Never fear, here come the Buffalo Slumpbusters!

Wild 5-1. Koivu gets a pair, Vanek and Pommer with a couple points each. TV demonstrates to Myers how to tip shots on the PP.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

'Fragile' Wild believe mindset needs to change

[nhl]726168[/nhl]

The Minnesota Wild looked like they were on the rise in 2013-14. This season, things have been anything but hopeful.

The Wild have lost six consecutive games and 12 of the past 14. They're in last place in the Central Division and 12th in the Western Conference.

"I think we should stop referencing last year," Wild forward Zach Parise said. "We've been doing that way too much. We give up one, two goals and mentally right now, we quit. We've been fragile and we change the way we play. That's what's killing us right now."

 

[WILDTATE10]

Minny not playing so well. Never fear, here come the Buffalo Slumpbusters!

Wild 5-1. Koivu gets a pair, Vanek and Pommer with a couple points each. TV demonstrates to Myers how to tip shots on the PP.

no no no its the Wild coming to town to bust the Sabres out of there slump. 5 goals for Girgensons in a 5-0 Sabres victory

 

[stokes84]

How Hodgson and Stafford arent on the 2nd PP unit is just laughable. Gorges, Flynn and Mez seriously.... Ted Nolan sometimes, just gotta shake your head.

Both defenseman have a better PPG than Hodgson, and Flynn has outplayed him by a mile. Hodgson has done nothing to deserve PP time this year. And he's had his chances and done nothing with them.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

Sabres Digital Press Box Game Preview: 1/15/15 vs. MIN

GAME NOTES PDF

PRESS CLIPS PDF

 

[Zip15]

How Hodgson and Stafford arent on the 2nd PP unit is just laughable. Gorges, Flynn and Mez seriously.... Ted Nolan sometimes, just gotta shake your head.

It's certainly ridiculous that Stafford isn't on a PP unit. The guy is our best ES scorer based on ES pts/60, and it's not all that close. You'd think that if they wanted to inflate the guy's stats for a potential trade they'd give him some PP minutes, just as they're doing by putting Stewart on the PP1. Then again, our PP sucks, so it probably doesn't matter all that much.

 

[CatsforReinhart]

Both defenseman have a better PPG than Hodgson, and Flynn has outplayed him by a mile. Hodgson has done nothing to deserve PP time this year. And he's had his chances and done nothing with them.

And Stewart has earned first power play minutes?

 

[stokes84]

And Stewart has earned first power play minutes?

Why not? He's been flanked by Hodgson all year. You can see why his numbers have suffered. I don't care who they throw out there. It all seems pretty trivial. But whining about Hodgson not getting a chance with the year he's had is an incredible reach. The only thing he deserves is an AHL demotion.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

@BillHoppeNHL

Sabres appear to be wearing their third jerseys tonight.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

@BuffaloSabres

Devan Dubnyk will start in goal for @mnwild tonight in Buffalo, per Wild. #MINvsBUF

#Sabres are on the ice for an optional morning skate. #MINvsBUF

 

[BowieSabresFan]

As long as they can at least make it entertaining and score a few goals. They have 7 goals in the last seven games...

 

[Billy Mays Here*]

Out of curiosity how have Hackett and Larsson developed so far for you guys?

Pommer has been solid offensively for us so far, about the only guy on this team who actually has and uses a slap shot. His defensive play, especially lately though has been lacking. Never been a physical player but he needs to stop with the defensive lapses because his positioning is supposed to make up for a lack of contact.