Game 58 Preview: Buffalo Sabres @ Ottawa Senators
It's bonus round time!
Listen Ottawa Senators, the bonus round is not a "gimme". You can still blow the bonus round if you don't take it seriously. So don't do that. You don't want to be the team that blows the bonus round (again), that's just embarrassing.
Edit: Mark here. Revelant to B_T's point:
The Buffalo Sabres are in Ottawa tonight for the last Sens home game before the Olympic break. The Sabres are dead last in the league, and pretty bad at almost everything, so it's definitely a should-win for Ottawa.
No changes to the lineup for skaters tonight, and Anderson gets the start.
Some points for tonight's game:
- Anderson looked pretty spectacular against Pittsburgh on Monday night. He probably won't need to be nearly as good tonight for the win, but another amazing performance would be great to see.
- What's the over/under on non-calls in Buffalo's favour tonight?
- Erik Karlsson, Mika Zibanejad, Jason Spezza, Milan Michalek and Kyle Turris all put up points in St Louis after being held off the sheet for two games in a row - can Clarke MacArthur and Bobby Ryan end their three game droughts tonight?
- Stephane Da Costa didn't officially make the score sheet in St Louis, but not for lack of trying and he did score in the shootout. His recent play is probably better than Sens fans were hoping for when he was initially signed.
- Ryan Miller has been quietly having a great season, but got lit up badly in his last two games.
- Despite how bad Buffalo is, all three previous games against them have been one goal games, two of them going to extra time.
- This is the back half of a back-to-back for the Sabres
| Category | Ottawa | Buffalo | ||
| Player | # | Player | # | |
| Goals | Bobby Ryan | 20 | Cody Hodgson | 14 |
| Assists | Erik Karlsson | 39 | Christian Ehrhoff | 20 |
| Points | Erik Karlsson | 53 | Cody Hodgson | 30 |
| Shots | Erik Karlsson | 177 | Tyler Ennis | 132 |
| Average Ice time | Erik Karlsson | 27:21 | Christian Ehrhoff | 24:04 |
| Category | Ottawa | Buffalo | ||
| # | Rank | # | Rank | |
| Goals For | 2.82 | 8th | 1.82 | 30th |
| Goals Against | 3.09 | 28th | 2.95 | 24th |
| Corsi Close % | 51.4% | 11th | 42.5% | 30th |
| Fenwick Close % | 50.2% | 16th | 42.1% | 30th |
| Shots For | 32.3 | 4th | 26.7 | 29th |
| Shots Against | 34.3 | 29th | 34.1 | 28th |
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