Sharpen Up: April 1, 2022 | Tonight, we celebrate Rick Jeanneret's career

RJ Night is finally here.
Before the Buffalo Sabres' game tonight against the Nashville Predators, join us for a banner ceremony as Rick Jeanneret's name will be added to the rafters of KeyBank Center.
If you're attending tonight's sold-out game, doors open at 5 p.m. and the team is encouraging fans to be in their seats by 6:40 p.m. for the ceremony. The first 10,000 fans in attendance will receive a replica banner. From 5 until 6:30, catch a pregame happy hour featuring $5 domestic drafts.
It'll be a special night, presented by Wegmans. For fans watching at home, the entire pregame ceremony will air live on the Sabres Game Night pregame show on MSG starting at 6:30 p.m.
Dan Dunleavy and Rob Ray will have the call on MSG and WGR 550.
Here's what you need to know.

More on RJ Night

The full fan guide is right here.
Photo opportunities will also be available throughout the arena with special signage highlighting some of Jeanneret's greatest calls.
The Buffalo Sabres Foundation will guarantee a 50/50 pot of $25,000 for the game.
Throughout the night, tributes and video messages will be played in arena, on the broadcast on MSG, and on all Sabres digital and social platforms.
Players will wear a special RJ banner patch on their jerseys during the game.
Later today, we'll also be announcing the winner of the RJ's Best Call bracket. Did you choose "May Day!" or "Scary Good!"
Click here for more details.

RJ will call Sunday's game. He'll call five more games before he retires at the end of the season. His "last call" will be on April 29 against Chicago. Tickets for all remaining home games are on sale now.

Tonight's matchup

• This is the second and final between the Sabres and Predators this season.
• Last meeting: Buffalo defeated Nashville 4-1 in Nashville on Jan. 13.
• The Sabres are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games against the Predators: 2-5-3 at home.
• This is the 31st game all-time between Buffalo and Nashville; Buffalo has a 12-14-4 series record.
• The Sabres are 2-8-3 at home against the Predators all-time.
• The Sabres enter tonight's game with at least a point in each of their last seven contests (4-0-3) for the first time since the team won 10 games in a row from Nov. 8 to 27, 2018.
• The team also recorded a point in eight straight games (7-0-1) spanning two seasons. That streak included the last two games of 2018-19 and the first six games of the 2019-20 season.
• The Sabres enter tonight's game with at least a point in each of their last five home games (3-0-2, including the Heritage Classic, which was a home game played at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario) for the first time since the team won six home games in a row the last three home games of last season and the first three games of this season.
• If he dresses, tonight will be Henri Jokiharju's 200th career NHL game.
• Mattias Samuelsson has four assists and a plus-8 rating in his last nine games, averaging 20:48 of ice time per game during that span.
• Since making his season debut on Jan. 17, Samuelsson ranks among the NHL's rookie leaders in TOI/GP (11th, 19:14), SH TOI/GP (5th, 2:14), hits (T-7th, 61) and blocked shots (7th, 44).
• Kyle Okposo has five points (2+3) in his last five games, including at least a point in each of his last three games.
• Okposo has 14 points (7+7) in 16 career games against the Predators, including two assists in the matchup earlier this season in Nashville on Jan. 13.
• His .438 goals per game trail only his totals against Chicago (.563), Edmonton (.444) and Seattle (.500) for his best scoring rate against any NHL opponent.
• Will Butcher enters tonight's game riding a three-game point streak (1+2), his longest streak since he tallied at least a point in three consecutive games from Feb. 16 to Feb. 20, 2021 • Jeff Skinner enters tonight's game with six points (4+2) in his last six games.
• Casey Mittelstadt has six points (1+5) in his last six games.
• Rasmus Dahlin has six points (1+5) in his last six games, having recorded three two-point efforts during that stretch.
• Jeff Skinner has 19 points (11+8) and a plus-10 rating in 17 career games against the Predators, including two goals in the matchup earlier this season in Nashville on Jan. 13.
• Vinnie Hinostroza enters tonight's game riding a three-game point streak against Nashville, tallying four points (3+1) and registering a plus-4 rating, during that span.
• Alex Tuch has seven assists and a plus-4 rating in his last nine games against Nashville.