Game 59 Preview: Sabres Host Penguins

Matt Bodenschatz | Pittsburgh Penguins

Feb 17, 11:38 AM | Hype this story!
W L OTL Pts.
2 0 0 4
 
Pts. W L OTL
1 0 1 1

6:00 @ HSBC Arena
FSN Pittsburgh
 
Inside The Game
No, it’s not the Winter Classic, but it certainly has the makings to be a classic mid-February battle between two teams hungry for a win.

"There will be a little different excitement around the game," forward Colby Armstrong told Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "Instead of a big outdoor game and big production, it’s more [about the standings], especially since we lost the last couple games. We have to get that bite back and get going."

Tonight, in a rare 6:00 PM game, the Buffalo Sabres will look to keep their playoff hopes alive as they play host to a Pittsburgh Penguins team that, despite being decimated by injuries, has remained in the mix of it all.

The Sabres are coming off of an embarrassing loss to the New York Rangers last night, while the Penguins are hoping to rebound from two consecutive losses stemming from less-than-stellar efforts from many players.

"Good teams bounce back after a loss and, especially, after two in a row," Armstrong told the paper.  "We can’t let this slide any further. We have to nip it in the bud."

One sure-fire way to accomplish this is to pepper Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller, who is expected to start tonight despite giving up four goals on 11 shots before getting pulled last night.

A quick start could prove to be huge for the Penguins, who have gotten off to slow starts in the last couple games.

It also will be paramount for Ty Conklin to return to the form that helped him reach folk hero levels in Pittsburgh earlier this year.  In two starts against the Sabres this year, Conklin has a 0.48 goals-against average.

Make no mistake about it, tonight’s game is a must-win for a team looking to keep its confidence and its playoff security.

"They’re all big games at this time of the year," coach Michel Therrien said to Anderson. "This is when the real games start."
 
Standings
  GP W L OT Pts Division Conference League
Penguins 58 32 21 5 69 2, Atlantic 5, Eastern 9, NHL
Sabres 58 28 22 8 64 4, Northeast 9, Eastern 17, NHL
                 
Team Statistics
  GF GA PP% PK% Home Away L 10 Streak
Penguins 170 158 20.9 80.2 17-10-3 15-11-2 5-4-1 2 losses
Sabres 172 162 18.9 85.0 15-8-3 13-14-5 7-1-2 1 loss
                 
Team Leaders
  Stat Penguins   Stat Sabres
Goals 33 Malkin Goals 21 Roy
Assists 42 Malkin Assists 37 Campbell
Points 75 Malkin Points 51 Pominville
PIMs 100 Laraque PIMs 75 Peters
Wins 14 Conklin Wins 26 Miller
 
Injuries
Penguins Injury Sabres Injury
Beech, IR
Hall, IR
Crosby, IR
Roberts, IR
Eaton, IR		 Broken Right Wrist
Strained Groin
High Ankle Sprain
Broken Left Leg
Torn ACL		 Afinogenov, IR
Numminen, IR		 Groin
Heart Surgery
       
Note: Info up-to-date as of 11:30 am, Sunday, February 17, 2008.

Comments

  1. Bryan

    Feb 17, 12:26 PM

    Any idea on Christensen’s status for this one?

  2. Matt Bodenschatz

    Feb 17, 03:21 PM

    Sorry Bryan, no news on Christensen, though my bet is that, since the Pens re-called two forwards when they re-assigned Goligoski, Christensen won’t be available for a few games. I could be way off on this, though.

  3. DaBich

    Feb 18, 07:51 AM

    I don’t mind saying, I called this one totally wrong from the get go. I figured there was no way to win this, with EC out and Taffe playing with a broken beak…errrr…nose ;)

    Glad to say I was wrong! Tho the shots on goal were not the best, last night’s game was obviously quality over quantity. What a lot of heart these guys showed! This team continues to amaze me.

  4. Matt Bodenschatz

    Feb 18, 09:51 AM

    I assumed a win was in order, considering the Sabres just got pounded the night before, and the Penguins are a team that really hates losing several games in a row.

    But, I’ll admit that, after the first period, I thought there was no way they’d walk away with a win, let alone three point buffer zone on the scoreboard.

    Once again they are proving why they can never be counted out. As you said, Dabich, this team is showing how much heart the players really have — and it’s a lot!

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