Sharpen Up: All the Sabres news you need to know on January 2, 2020
Buffalo plays the Oilers tonight at home
by Chris Ryndak @ChrisRyndak / Sabres.com
The Sabres are back it at today with a game against the Edmonton Oilers. Faceoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. with pregame coverage on MSG starting at 6:30.
Here's what you need to know.
Here's what you need to know.
- This is the second of two meetings between the Sabres and Oilers this season.
- Last meeting: Buffalo defeated Edmonton 3-2 (OT) in Edmonton on Dec. 8, 2019
- The Sabres are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games vs. the Oilers; 5-4-1 at home.
- With a win tonight, the Sabres would sweep the season series with the Oilers for the third time in four seasons. Edmonton won both matchups in the 2018-19 season. The teams haven't split a series since 2013-14, the first season that they resumed facing off twice a year.
- Kyle Okposo has tallied 15 points (8+7) in 15 career games against Edmonton. The Oilers are one of four NHL teams (San Jose, Vancouver, Vegas) that he has recorded exactly a point per game against, his highest per-game rate against any team.
- Rasmus Ristolainen has 14 points (2+12) in 12 career games against the Oilers, including at least a point in six of his seven meetings with Edmonton since the beginning of the 2016-17 season. It's his highest point total and best career per-game output against any NHL opponent.
- Jack Eichel has totaled 10 points (5+5) in eight career games against Edmonton.
- With 32 points (18+14) in 19 home games this season, Eichel's 1.68 points per game at home rank second in the league. His plus-19 rating at home leads the league, with Colorado's Ryan Graves ranking second at plus-15.
- Victor Olofsson recorded 14 points (6+8) in 14 games in December. He leads all NHL rookies in goals (16) and points (34) this season.
- Rasmus Dahlin's .64 points per game so far this season represent the best scoring rate by a Sabres defenseman since Brian Campbell (.68) in 2007-08.
Wednesday's practice
Ralph Krueger's press conference is a must watch:
From the Ice Level Practice Report…
Ralph Krueger speaks often about the importance of processing pain. In the aftermath of losses, his comments are typically geared toward finding solutions out of disappointment.
Tuesday's 6-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning may have been the Sabres' most painful of the season. They led 4-1 in the second period, capped by a thrilling shorthanded goal from Jack Eichel, then allowed five unanswered goals to drop their fourth game in a row.
Rather than get lost in the details of that game, Krueger utilized Wednesday morning to reflect on the big picture with his players. They assessed where they stand after 41 games and looked ahead to the opportunities of the second half.
"The pain needs to remain and we shouldn't [gloss] it over, but what we need to do is concentrate on the process again," Krueger said. "We know we're in a group phase of learning and growing and the group in there is coming out fighting this morning.
"The coaches are fighting, the players are fighting, and we'd like to show the crowd here - who were unbelievable in my first half of my first season here in Buffalo - we want to give them that as a New Year's gift tomorrow against Edmonton. We want them to see the fight and the reaction. So, that's kind of the feeling here this morning, quite honestly. We went big picture to get some sanity out of the pain yesterday. Again, there are good things we need to grab onto and get right back at it tomorrow."
Today in Sabres history
1999: Miroslav Satan extends his goal streak to eight games with a game-winning tally in a 7-1 win at home against Calgary.
Satan scored 40 goals that season.
He's one of only three Sabres in franchise history to have an eight-game goal streak. Mike Foligno in 1984-85 and Alexander Mogilny in 1992-93 are the others.
Saturday's game is '90s Night
Don't forget, faceoff is now at 1 p.m.
Click here to check out an exclusive gallery of photos from the 1990s.