GDT: 10/14/2013 - Minnesota Wild @ Buffalo Sabres - 6:30 - NBCSN, TSN2

[tyratoku]

After a rough start, the Wild have won two in a row against in-division opponents!

Not one, but two rookies on our team scored their first NHL goals last game against Dallas.

This guy, Who many thought was terrible and not worthy of signing, to say the least, is leading the team in points.

The Buffalo Sabres, on the other hand, have struggled so far this year. With an 0-5-1 start, the Sabres are last in the league in both points and goals scored. Only eight players on their team have scored a point, and with the amount of young players on the team they are not expected to excel this season.

Jason Pominville, traded from the Sabres to the Wild last year at the trade deadline, returns to his former team for the first time.

It should be an interesting game.

Lineups

Minnesota Wild

2-1-2 | 6p
14gf | 12ga
0-1-0 on the road
Fourth place in the Central Division

Leading Scorers

Matt "PPG Cookie" Cooke
5GP | 3g | 2a | 5p | +4 | 0PIM

Zach Parise
5GP | 4g | 0a | 4p | +2 | 4PIM

Jonas Brodin
5GP | 2g | 2a | 4p | +2 | 4PIM

Josh Harding will likely get the start
2 GS | 2-1-0 | 1.07GAA | .944SV%

Parise - Koivu - Nino
Heatley - Granlund - Pominville
Cooke - Brodziak - Fontaine
Viellieux - Konopka - Mitchell

Suter - Brodin
Ballard - Spurgeon
Stoner - Dumba

Harding
Backstrom

Buffalo Sabres

0-5-1 | 1p
6gf | 16ga
0-2-1 at home
Last place in the Atlantic Division

Leading Scorers

Cody Hodgson
6GP | 1g | 4a | 5p | -3 | 2PIM

Thomas Vanek
6GP | 2g | 2a | 4p | -4 | 4PIM

Jamie McBain
4GP | 1g | 1a | 2p | -2 | 0PIM

Ryan Miller will likely start
4GS | 0-4-0 | 2.29GAA | .941SV%

Vanek - Hodgson - Ott
Foligno - Ennis - Stafford
Girgensons - Grigorenko - Flynn
Scott - Larsson - McCormick

Ehrhoff - Pysyk
Sulzer - myers
McBain - Ristolainen

Miller
Enroth

Click to read more...

 

[this providence]

Interested in seeing Larsson tonight.

 

[MuckOG]

Has anyone seen much of Buffalo yet? According to the OP, Larsson will be centering the 4th line and with the 4 games he's been active only sees less than 9 minutes a game.

If that's all the ice he will see, maybe he would be better off getting minutes in the AHL.

 

[couture23]

Has anyone seen much of Buffalo yet? According to the OP, Larsson will be centering the 4th line and with the 4 games he's been active only sees less than 9 minutes a game.

If that's all the ice he will see, maybe he would be better off getting minutes in the AHL.

A lot of us are really pissed with Rolston. Larsson seemed pegged for 2C or atleast 3C, but nope - he's been delegated to "Scott Duties".

The guy is an amazing forechecker, plays a great game, but we barely get to see him.

 

[this providence]

I've watched them a few times.

Larsson looks dominant on the boards but beyond that he hasn't shown much in the games I've seen.

What really stood out to me is how bad Myers looked. May have caught some bad games for him but I was very unimpressed. Don't know. Their top line has a pretty good make-up, though. Ott looks pretty solid with them. 2nd line is pretty underwhelming and Girgensons and Grigorenko show flashes but they can be exposed.

I just hope this isn't one of those games the Wild make Miller look otherworldly...

 

[dwanmaster*]

Wild win 8-1

 

[BigT2002]

I've watched them a few times.

Larsson looks dominant on the boards but beyond that he hasn't shown much in the games I've seen.

What really stood out to me is how bad Myers looked. May have caught some bad games for him but I was very unimpressed. Don't know. Their top line has a pretty good make-up, though. Ott looks pretty solid with them. 2nd line is pretty underwhelming and Girgensons and Grigorenko show flashes but they can be exposed.

I just hope this isn't one of those games the Wild make Miller look otherworldly...

Just my humble opinion, but Meyers was terrible last year too.

and far as my prediction:

 

[couture23]

Wild win 8-1

I don't think you realize how good Miller has been this year

So excited to watch Pommers again.

 

[Beegoalie]

Pretty crazy..Miller with a .941 save percentage but yet is 0-4. Poor guy. Him and Vanek deserve better homes.

Hopefully Wild doesn't take what will certainly be a desperate team lightly..we should win easily however as Buffalo is clearly the worst team in the league right now.

 

[DeuceMN]

Pretty crazy..Miller with a .941 save percentage but yet is 0-4. Poor guy. Him and Vanek deserve better homes.

Hopefully Wild doesn't take what will certainly be a desperate team lightly..we should win easily however as Buffalo is clearly the worst team in the league right now.[/QUOTE]

Therefore, we will get our ***** handed to us on national TV. Buf: 8-1

(It will be their only win of the year and we will be sad)

Prove me wrong Yeo!

 

[Lapa]

Wild with 45 SOG, 2-1 win.

Granlund, Koivu. Poms with 2 assists

Vanek

 

[MuckOG]

@BuffaloSabres
#Sabres lines at morning skate: Vanek-Hodgson-Ott. Foligno-Ennis-Stafford. Girgensons-Grigorenko-Flynn. Porter-Larsson-McCormick.

@BuffaloSabres
#Sabres D pairings at morning skate: Ehrhoff-Pysyk. Tallinder-Myers. Sulzer-Ristolainen. Weber-McBain. #GameDay

 

[rynryn]

We're good at busting other teams' slumps. So...let's see if we can shed that juju tonight.

 

[couture23]

Enroth is starting tonight, FYI guys.

 

[El Nino22]

And just when we thought we were rid of Steve Ott...In all seriousness though I expect this to be a very physical game. Buffalo has shown they are a tough team this year and Ott loves mixing it up when he plays us. I predict a close game 4-2 wild. Pomm, Ninox2, Koivu EN for the Wild and Larsson, Foligno for Buffalo.

 

[mezcal]

Gonna be a good game. Go Wild!

 

[Sharppi]

Lets go! Gonna wake up to see this one, then hit the gym after.

 

[tomgilbertfan]

Wild 4 (Nino, Granlund, Pominville, Brodziak)
Sabres 2 (Vanek, Ott)

 

[jedisports]

I absolutely love the opening of this thread, tyratoku. Informative, the pictures are great, and makes me even more psyched for tonight's game!

Go WILD!

 

[Hall of Faber]

I absolutely love the opening of this thread, tyratoku. Informative, the pictures are great, and makes me even more psyched for tonight's game!

Go WILD!

It's not quite perfect... Myers name is not capitalized in Buffalo's line-up.

 

[ewoksonhoth]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say Cooke doesn't get a point tonight. Wild still take it 3-1.

 

[Hokifani]

Wild win 4-1
Cookie, Pommer, Parise x2

Go Wild!

 

[TZM]

Their D must be bad if Ristolainen is still playing for them. He's a great prospect but he's raw as a steak tartare.

 

[Lope]

WILD 5 SABRES 1

Pominville, Granny, Nino, Parise x2

Just wondering whether to sleep before the game or not. It'll be 2.30 AM here in Finland

 

[Fel 96]

Hopefully Cooke is going to calm down Ott tonight.

By that, I mean Ott having a quiet game.