GDT: Florida Panthers @ Buffalo Sabres - 1/2/15 - 7:00 PM ET

[batting1k]

[FIELDSET="The Matchup"]

Florida Panthers @ Buffalo Sabres

Gameday Preview​

[/FIELDSET]

[FIELDSET="When"]7:00 PM ET, Friday, January 2nd, 2015[/FIELDSET]

[FIELDSET="Where"]First Niagara Center, Buffalo, New York, United States[/FIELDSET]

[FIELDSET="League Standings"]

Click here for the latest NHL standings​

[/FIELDSET]

[FIELDSET="Line Combinations"]Florida Panthers:
Line 1: Sean Bergenheim - Aleksander Barkov - Brad Boyes
Line 2: Jimmy Hayes - Nick Bjugstad - Brandon Pirri
Line 3: Jonathan Huberdeau - Vincent Trocheck - Jussi Jokinen
Line 4: Scottie Upshall - Derek MacKenzie - Dave Bolland

Defense:
Line 1: Willie Mitchell - Dimitry Kulikov
Line 2: Brian Campbell - Aaron Ekblad
Line 3: Dylan Olsen - Shane O'Brien

Starting Goaltender:
Roberto Luongo

Buffalo Sabres:
Line 1: Matt Moulson - Zemgus Girgensons - Tyler Ennis
Line 2: Brian Flynn – Mikhail Grigorenko – Chris Stewart
Line 3: Cody Hodgson – Johan Larsson – Drew Stafford
Line 4: Nicolas Deslauriers – Cody McCormick – Patrick Kaleta

Defense:
Line 1: Josh Gorges – Tyson Strachan
Line 2: Nikita Zadorov – Rasmus Ristolainen
Line 3: Andre Benoit – Andrej Meszaros

Starting Goaltender:
Michal Neuvirth
[/FIELDSET]

[FIELDSET="Injuries"]Florida Panthers:
Shawn Thornton - Lower body injury

Buffalo Sabres:
Rasmus Ristolainen - Flu
Torrey Mitchell - Lower body injury
Brian Gionta - Head
Tyler Myers - Lower body injury[/FIELDSET]

Last game played vs. the Sabres:



Last game played:



Select Highlight of the Day - Barkov does the reverse Datsyuk move in Finland:



LETS GO PANTHERS!!! ​

Click to read more...

 

[EnforceTheLaus]

Should be Neuvirth in net for Buf. Let's get back in the win column and score 1st.

 

[spacemanatee]

nice gdt batting1k !

2pts are really needed tonight

 

[batting1k]

Should be Neuvirth in net for Buf. Let's get back in the win column and score 1st.

Yep, just saw on Twitter. Updated.

nice gdt batting1k !

2pts are really needed tonight

Let's get 'er done

 

[CatscratchFever]

Anything less than 2 points here is unacceptable.

 

[batting1k]

Anything less than 2 points here is unacceptable.

For sure. In Edmonton as well.

 

[IM Clutcm]

Really don't like those lines...

 

[batting1k]

Really don't like those lines...

Copied them from last game. No idea what they'll be today...hopefully they aren't the same

 

[IM Clutcm]

Copied them from last game. No idea what they'll be today...hopefully they aren't the same

Really hope gallant goes back to something close to the original ones. Bjuggerdeau shouldn't be split up.

 

[batting1k]

 

[batting1k]

I've tweaked the lines a bit

 

[adam graves]

How do u embed a tweet

 

[batting1k]

How do u embed a tweet

"tweet" in brackets with the number from the link in between them

https://twitter.com/GeorgeRichards/status/[B]551064864836177920[/B]

So: [ tweet ] number here [/MEDIA]

remove the spaces

 

[SoupyFIN]

Yeah, the tweet bracket thingy button hasn't been put on among the other options (like YT for example) when replying, so you have to do it manually.

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

Buffalo has regressed completely, lost 6 of 7, only had 11 shots their last game. No Myers, no Gionta are a big help. Also Rasmus Ristolainen is back in for Buffalo, which considering his last game against the Panthers, is a good thing. And Neuvirth isn't as good as Enroth.


No reason to not pick up 2 here, especially since Florida hasn't lost 3 in a row all year.

 

[Boothinator]

Flash out...BUT Pirri gets back!!!!! LOVE IT!

Lets get this win! Neuvirth should be beatable?

 

[FlaPnthrsPunk]

Kudos on a nice GDT, batting1k!

Absolutely no reason to lose this game tonight with the recent Sabres stats two posts above. We need to try to get I'd say four of six wins on this road trip to stay afloat in the Wild Card race when all is said and done.

 

[EnforceTheLaus]

Buffalo has regressed completely, lost 6 of 7, only had 11 shots their last game. No Myers, no Gionta are a big help. Also Rasmus Ristolainen is back in for Buffalo, which considering his last game against the Panthers, is a good thing. And Neuvirth isn't as good as Enroth.


No reason to not pick up 2 here, especially since Florida hasn't lost 3 in a row all year.

Yes. No reason to lose tonight. Also we need every single point this month, Feb's schedule is Hellish.

 

[CanadianPantherFan]

Kudos on a nice GDT, batting1k!

Absolutely no reason to lose this game tonight with the recent Sabres stats two posts above. We need to try to get I'd say four of six wins on this road trip to stay afloat in the Wild Card race when all is said and done.

I think 3-3 would be fine and keep us in the race. Wash, Van and Winnipeg could all be tough games. Cal, Buf and Edm might not win all three of those;could see some OT in those three but giving those teams a point does not hurt Panthers in the standings.

 

[Juggernaut27]

What on earth is Tyson Strachan doing on a top pairing. Poor Buffalo. That whole defense is just sad.

Nice GDT!

 

[batting1k]

What on earth is Tyson Strachan doing on a top pairing. Poor Buffalo. That whole defense is just sad.

Nice GDT!

Wish I knew. Just copied them from the Sabres thread.

 

[Juggernaut27]

Wish I knew. Just copied them from the Sabres thread.

They saw Edmonton trade Perron for Klinkhammer and decided to up the tank

 

[Boothinator]

They saw Edmonton trade Perron for Klinkhammer and decided to up the tank

Nobody will beat out Edmonton!

 

[Android 16]

Watch out for that Kaleta. He's a wild man.

http://zippy.gfycat.com/SparklingGreatJenny.mp4

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

Flash out...BUT Pirri gets back!!!!! LOVE IT!

Lets get this win! Neuvirth should be beatable?

Pirri is an awful choice for the 4th line, not too excited about it. Neuvirth has been decent but Enroth has been in God mode, so it's a break for Florida.

Yes. No reason to lose tonight. Also we need every single point this month, Feb's schedule is Hellish.

Ya I said this the other day, people are already scoreboard watching hard, but the panthers schedule in February is ridiculous. 16 games in 28 days, almost all against Western playoff teams.