GDT: #12 – Sabres at Penguins – Sat Nov 1, 7:00PM ET – MSG-B, SN1 – WGR

[Woodhouse]

BUF (2-8-1) at PIT (6-2-1) – SAT NOV 1, 7:00PM ET – MSG-B, SN1 – WGR – CHAT

Gameday Headlines

Game Preview: 11/1/14 at PIT – Ian Ott, Sabres PR

High-scoring Penguins host struggling Sabres – Corey Masisak, NHL.com

Sabres-Penguins Preview – STATS Writer, AP

Pens notebook: After slow start, PK on upswing – Jason Mackey, Trib Media

Morning Skate update – Chris Ryndak, Sabres.com

Previous Headlines

Sabres take rare lead, still fall in overtime to Bruins – Bill Hoppe, OTH

Sabres unable to hold off Bruins in OT – Chris Ryndak, Sabres.com

Marchand goal foils Sabres in overtime – John Vogl, TBN

Remaining in NHL would have been best for Reinhart – Bucky Gleason, TBN

Fleury, Penguins too much for Kings – Josh Yohe, Trib Media

Friday practice report – Chris Ryndak, Sabres.com

Tocchet wants Letang to shoot more on PP – Josh Yohe, Trib Media

Rutherford: Malkin's play belies fact he missed training camp – Jason Mackey, Trib Media​

BUFFALO SABRES

Projected Lineup

26 Matt Moulson – 63 Tyler Ennis – 21 Drew Stafford
17 Torrey Mitchell – 28 Zemgus Girgensons – 12 Brian Gionta
82 Marcus Foligno – 19 Cody Hodgson – 80 Chris Stewart
44 Nicolas Deslauriers – 8 Cody McCormick – 65 Brian Flynn
x: 36 Patrick Kaleta (face)

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

1 Jhonas Enroth
34 Michal Neuvirth

Lineup News & Notes

Matt Hackett (knee) and Patrick Kaleta (face) remain on injured reserve, but are practicing with the
team. Sam Reinhart was returned to Kootenay on Friday.

According to the Stats

Tonight’s game opens up Buffalo’s 4th of 19 sets of back-to-back games this season, which will continue
tomorrow when the Sabres host the Red Wings. The Sabres are 0-3-0 in the first game of back-to-back
sets and 1-2-0 in the second game.​

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

Projected Lineup

14 Chris Kunitz – 87 Sidney Crosby – 72 Patric Hornqvist
9 Pascal Dupuis – 71 Evgeni Malkin – 17 Blake Comeau
13 Nick Spaling – 16 Brandon Sutter – 23 Steve Downie
38 Zach Sill – 57 Marcel Goc – 27 Craig Adams
x: 19 Beau Bennett (LBI), 59 Jayson Megna

3 Olli Maatta – 58 Kris Letang
10 Christian Ehrhoff – 7 Paul Martin
4 Rob Scuderi – 47 Simon Despres
x: 41 Roberto Bortuzzo (LBI)

29 Marc-Andre Fleury
1 Thomas Greiss

Lineup News & Notes

Pittsburgh's injury list includes Beau Bennett (LBI) and Robert Bortuzzo (LBI), but Bortuzzo did take the
morning skate, rotating with the third pairing.

According to the Stats

Pittsburgh's PP% is 39.5 and their 15 PPG are three more than Buffalo has scored total.​

NHL VIDEOCENTER

Buffalo Sabres (for the latest videos, visit what's new)

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Pittsburgh Penguins (for the latest videos, visit what's new)

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Click to read more...

 

[omglolnub]

I feel like a player like Blake Comeau shouldn't be on Malkin's wing, but I don't follow the Pens

 

[SabreOil]

7-2 pens

Buffalo with 16 shots

 

[Boocock]

Penguins fan coming in peace. Lived in WNY from 2012 to 2014. Really rooting for you guys to put everything together in a few years. Hang in there. Good things are coming.

 

[Bigduce13]

We are......

Finished
Underwhelming
Crap-tastically bad
Keeping the tank alive
Energy depleted
Doomed to lose big tonight

 

[EichHart]

Watching to see Sid and Malkin play. Ganna be a blowout.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

@BuffaloSabres

Morning Skate
Moulson-Ennis-Stafford
Mitchell-Girgensons-Gionta
Foligno-Hodgson-Stewart
Deslauriers-McCormick-Flynn

Kaleta

#BUFvsPit -CR

Morning Skate
Gorges/Myers
Weber/Strachan
Benoit/Ristolainen

Zadorov/Meszaros

Enroth and Neuvirth

#BUFvsPIT -CR

 

[omglolnub]

Yikes. This is gonna hurt. A lot.

 

[Paxon]

 

[mikemcburn]

@BuffaloSabres

Morning Skate
Moulson-Ennis-Stafford
Mitchell-Girgensons-Gionta
Foligno-Hodgson-Stewart
Deslauriers-McCormick-Flynn

Kaleta

#BUFvsPit -CR

Morning Skate
Gorges/Myers
Weber/Strachan
Benoit/Ristolainen

Zadorov/Meszaros

Enroth and Neuvirth

#BUFvsPIT -CR

Not that I think of Foligno as a genuine 1st liner, but I'd swap him and Moulson.

Moulson-Hodgson worked last season, before a cool stretch prompted newly minted coach Nolan to set up the Moulson-Ennis duet - which has now been in a cool stretch dating back to late last season.

In fact, .during Moulson's last 10 Sabres games he scored only twice, and both times (Feb 26 & Feb 28) while playing with Girgensons and Leino. No Ennis. He got some assists playing with Ennis/Stafford, but the last time he actually scored on a line with those guys was January 15th. That means it has been 22 games since Moulson scored while on a line with Ennis (and Stafford).

If the idea is to get him going (or at least to let Ennis/Stafford get a winger who works with them), then Moulson needs to be freed.

I've vote for returning him to Hodgson and swapping Foligno to Ennis/Stafford (where he apparently had a good stretch once too?). But even swapping Moulson with Mitchell may be more interesting?

 

[Bps21*]

Photoshop in Nolan's face and then put Zadorov looking sad in my suit in the background.

 

[Beerz]

“He adds that little chemistry mix that maybe we’ve been missing,†Sabres coach Ted Nolan said about Strachan.

Teddy Nolan...The Walking Cliche

 

[mikemcburn]

Teddy Nolan...The Walking Cliche

 

[Bps21*]

It makes sense though. A career ahler having chemistry with a bunch of players who belong there.

 

[MacOfNiagara]

Not that I think of Foligno as a genuine 1st liner, but I'd swap him and Moulson.

I agree, but not a chance. MES and Zadorov on the bench seem to be written in stone. Hard to argue with the results I guess

Guys are getting paid the big bucks, they should be able to find some solution to the Zadorov situation. I realize it is a tricky situation, but you cannot have a young guy like that seeing zero ice time (1 game). He needs to play in competitive games, somewhere, anywhere, please.

 

[MacOfNiagara]

Teddy Nolan...The Walking Cliche

I was a fan of giving him a chance, but he has all but lost my confidence. I find listening to pre and post game comments by Nolan to become an increasingly frustrating chore. He says so much while saying nothing. Reminds me of horoscope speak.

 

[mikemcburn]

I agree, but not a chance. MES and Zadorov on the bench seem to be written in stone. Guys are getting paid the big bucks, they should be able to find some solution to the Zadorov situation. I realize it is a tricky situation, but you cannot have a young guy like that seeing zero ice time (1 game). He needs to play in competitive games.

Yeah, I think you are right on that - not a chance.

Not so much MES in stone though, more the ME is cemented, period. Nolan keeps rotating their winger... Stafford out Gionta (who was looking good by Girgensons) in, then Gionta out and Stewart (who was looking good b y Hodgson) in, then back to Stafford... All the while ME stays the same.

And seeing how it's been 22 games since Moulson has actually scored a goal while playing with Ennis, I start to wonder if Nolan is just another human - so attached to what he wants to be true that he's blind to the truth. Oh well.

Zads is something else... I don't get it. Obviously there's some background stuff going on which Nolan hasn't any control over, but wow, not to play the kid at all? And then, only when he dressed 7 d for some reason?

Any possibility that Nolan is actually under instruction from Murray et. al. not to pay Zads? Any reason why that may be the instructions?

 

[Bps21*]

Murray flatly stated that it isn't his job to tell the coach who to play. He said it in response to the zadorov situation. He's here because for now he has to be...but the not ever playing him thing...he laid that turd at Nolan's doorstep.

 

[moomoosoup]

7-2 pens

Buffalo with 16 shots

The shot total seems generous. Let's go for single digits!

 

[orby]

I feel like a player like Blake Comeau shouldn't be on Malkin's wing, but I don't follow the Pens

Pens fan stopping by to learn a little about the Sabres' lineup...if he were healthy, Beau Bennett would probably be on Malkin's right wing. At the moment the Pens kind of have to throw a bottom 6 type of guy onto that line. For what it's worth, Comeau has been pretty decent at 2RW in the few games he's played there.

Out of curiosity, how has Chris Stewart looked so far? Some Pens fans think he'd be a great acquisition if he were available, but others are convinced he's a lazy bum.

 

[Paxon]

Pens fan stopping by to learn a little about the Sabres' lineup...if he were healthy, Beau Bennett would probably be on Malkin's right wing. At the moment the Pens kind of have to throw a bottom 6 type of guy onto that line. For what it's worth, Comeau has been pretty decent at 2RW in the few games he's played there.

Out of curiosity, how has Chris Stewart looked so far? Some Pens fans think he'd be a great acquisition if he were available, but others are convinced he's a lazy bum.

Stewart looked like a force in the preseason and then hasn't done much since. He turns the puck over too much. Has a great shot though and he fought Lucic well right off the bat in our last game. I think he'd be a good fit for Pittsburgh but his value isn't great.

 

[Beerz]

Pens fan stopping by to learn a little about the Sabres' lineup...if he were healthy, Beau Bennett would probably be on Malkin's right wing. At the moment the Pens kind of have to throw a bottom 6 type of guy onto that line. For what it's worth, Comeau has been pretty decent at 2RW in the few games he's played there.

Out of curiosity, how has Chris Stewart looked so far? Some Pens fans think he'd be a great acquisition if he were available, but others are convinced he's a lazy bum.

Not bad..not good. A lot of people say he's lazy and has already checked out. I don't see it. I've liked most of his games. Needs to start burying his chances that's all.

 

[Bps21*]

I think he gets more scoring chances than everyone else on the team. Stuck on zero goals though.

So it's going like that I guess.

 

[Kublakhan]

How long can the players keep a positive attitude wile getting spanked every game and then tongue lashed every practice?? It's gotta be hard and the season is still young..

 

[KrisLetAngry]

I feel like a player like Blake Comeau shouldn't be on Malkin's wing, but I don't follow the Pens

We have no other top 6 options since Bennett is out and he most likely will play with Sutter.

Comeau is playing like a really good third liner so in Pittsburgh that translates to playing with Malkin until we get a winger for him.

Many pens fans think we should go after Stewart. I think he'd be a cheaper top 6 option then most?