Islanders, Thrashers back-to-back at HSBC
There were plenty of reasons the Buffalo Sabres didn't make the Stanley Cup playoffs last year. Injuries and inconsistency, of course, top the list.
Here are two more entries: the New York Islanders and Atlanta Thrashers. Forget how things went against them?
The Sabres were just 2-2-4 against the teams that finished 13th and 15th in the Eastern Conference. They were 0-0-4 against Atlanta (two losses in OT, two in shootouts) and 2-2 against the Islanders, who were last overall. Pretty significant when you get only eight out of 16 points against them and miss the playoffs by just two.
And while the Sabres have other scores to settle against 2008-09 East lightweights Ottawa, Toronto and Tampa Bay, they have a big chance to start making amends this weekend in HSBC Arena.
In a rare home back-to-back set, the Islanders and No. 1 overall draft pick John Tavares are in town tonight at 7:30. The Thrashers, with ex-Sabre Maxim Afinogenov in the lineup, come in Saturday at 7.
The Sabres are 3-0-1 and one of just two teams in the league (along with Dallas) without a regulation loss. They're coming off a 6-2 drubbing of Detroit, one of the NHL's model franchises. But they can't slip into last year's pattern of playing down to the opposition again. The Islanders (0-1-3) and Toronto (0-5-1) are the NHL's only winless teams.
So several inquiries after practice Thursday in the Amherst Pepsi Center centered on some of last year's bigger potholes.
"I was feeling good until you brought that up," joked coach Lindy Ruff. "We've got to play our game. [Meeting the Islanders] has to be a real hard game. It can't be a game where we take them lightly or take them for granted."
"We lost a lot of points last year against teams that were lower than us in the standings," said winger Jason Pominville. "It's still early in the season so it's tough to say what they'll be like this year. We'll worry about what we've got to do.
"We're off to a good start. Our last two games are an indication of where we're heading, where we want to be and the way we want to play."
The Sabres' fast start has them atop the NHL in goals against (five), five-on-five goals against (just one so far), shots on goal (38.2) and points percentage (87.5). They're second in shots against (22.8).
"We haven't seen where guys have taken games for granted, periods for granted or even taken shifts for granted," Ruff said. "We've been locked in. We've got to stay locked in."
Tavares, the nephew of the Buffalo Bandits lacrosse legend of the same name, has two goals, three assists and is plus-1 so far.
"He's a very skilled kid, real good on the power play," Ruff said. "... We have to make it tough on him. You give those young skill guys opportunity and they can make a difference."
The Islanders will start a newly acquired ex-Sabre in goal but which one is uncertain. Dwayne Roloson is 0-0-2 with a 2.77 goals-against average thus far and Martin Biron is 0-1-1, 2.52.
Even though the Islanders were tied for 28th in the league last year in goals against, the Sabres were shut out by them in February in the Nassau Coliseum and lost a 4-2 decision here in a November game.
"They're definitely a frustrating team to play against," Pominville said. "They keep you to the outside and at times they have four or five guys right around the goal crease. It makes it tough. You've got to move the puck around, get those shots and hopefully get it by the first, second and sometimes third guy. And then you've got the goalie to beat."
When Atlanta hits town Saturday, Afinogenov will be looking for his first goal with his new team. He has one assist and a minus-3 rating.
There were plenty of reasons the Buffalo Sabres didn't make the Stanley Cup playoffs last year. Injuries and inconsistency, of course, top the list.
Here are two more entries: the New York Islanders and Atlanta Thrashers. Forget how things went against them?
The Sabres were just 2-2-4 against the teams that finished 13th and 15th in the Eastern Conference. They were 0-0-4 against Atlanta (two losses in OT, two in shootouts) and 2-2 against the Islanders, who were last overall. Pretty significant when you get only eight out of 16 points against them and miss the playoffs by just two.
And while the Sabres have other scores to settle against 2008-09 East lightweights Ottawa, Toronto and Tampa Bay, they have a big chance to start making amends this weekend in HSBC Arena.
In a rare home back-to-back set, the Islanders and No. 1 overall draft pick John Tavares are in town tonight at 7:30. The Thrashers, with ex-Sabre Maxim Afinogenov in the lineup, come in Saturday at 7.
The Sabres are 3-0-1 and one of just two teams in the league (along with Dallas) without a regulation loss. They're coming off a 6-2 drubbing of Detroit, one of the NHL's model franchises. But they can't slip into last year's pattern of playing down to the opposition again. The Islanders (0-1-3) and Toronto (0-5-1) are the NHL's only winless teams.
So several inquiries after practice Thursday in the Amherst Pepsi Center centered on some of last year's bigger potholes.
"I was feeling good until you brought that up," joked coach Lindy Ruff. "We've got to play our game. [Meeting the Islanders] has to be a real hard game. It can't be a game where we take them lightly or take them for granted."
"We lost a lot of points last year against teams that were lower than us in the standings," said winger Jason Pominville. "It's still early in the season so it's tough to say what they'll be like this year. We'll worry about what we've got to do.
"We're off to a good start. Our last two games are an indication of where we're heading, where we want to be and the way we want to play."
The Sabres' fast start has them atop the NHL in goals against (five), five-on-five goals against (just one so far), shots on goal (38.2) and points percentage (87.5). They're second in shots against (22.8).
"We haven't seen where guys have taken games for granted, periods for granted or even taken shifts for granted," Ruff said. "We've been locked in. We've got to stay locked in."
Tavares, the nephew of the Buffalo Bandits lacrosse legend of the same name, has two goals, three assists and is plus-1 so far.
"He's a very skilled kid, real good on the power play," Ruff said. "... We have to make it tough on him. You give those young skill guys opportunity and they can make a difference."
The Islanders will start a newly acquired ex-Sabre in goal but which one is uncertain. Dwayne Roloson is 0-0-2 with a 2.77 goals-against average thus far and Martin Biron is 0-1-1, 2.52.
Even though the Islanders were tied for 28th in the league last year in goals against, the Sabres were shut out by them in February in the Nassau Coliseum and lost a 4-2 decision here in a November game.
"They're definitely a frustrating team to play against," Pominville said. "They keep you to the outside and at times they have four or five guys right around the goal crease. It makes it tough. You've got to move the puck around, get those shots and hopefully get it by the first, second and sometimes third guy. And then you've got the goalie to beat."
When Atlanta hits town Saturday, Afinogenov will be looking for his first goal with his new team. He has one assist and a minus-3 rating.
