Sharpen Up: All the Sabres news you need to know on November 2, 2019

Join us for '70s Night presented by Fallsview Casino Resort tonight when the Sabres take on the New York Islanders at KeyBank Center.
Tickets for the 7 p.m. faceoff are on sale now.
If you can't make it, we have tons of cool stuff planned on the broadcast. The GMC Game Night pregame show starts at 6:30 p.m. on MSG. RJ and Rayzor - and a few special guests like original public relations staffer Paul Wieland - will have the call on MSG and WGR 550.
Here's what you need to know.

All '70s

Dress up in your best '70s attire if you're coming to the game.
Here are some of the things we have planned:
Over 20 alumni from the team's first decade of existence are set to attend Saturday's home game against the New Islanders for '70s Night presented by Fallsview Casion Resort. The list currently includes:
Gerry Meehan
John Gould
Jim Lorentz
Rene Robert
Don Luce
Larry Carriere
Rick Dudley
Jim Schoenfeld
Jerry Korab
Bill Hajt
Paul McIntosh
Morris Titanic
Gerry Desjardins
Fred Stanfield
Danny Gare
Terry Martin
Derek Smith
Don Edwards
Ric Seiling
Tony McKegney
Mike Robitaille
Prior to the game, alumni will greet fans in the 100 Level starting at 5:45 p.m. and will then be welcomed onto the ice before the opening faceoff.

Equipment manager Rip Simonick, who is in his 50th year on the team's staff, will also be recognized.
The first 10,000 fans in attendance will receive a 1970s-themed Sabres pennant as well.

Want to remember some of the great moments and players of the decade? Check out this exclusive photo gallery.
Click here for more info.

Tonight's matchup

From the Game Notes…
- Victor Olofsson was named the NHL Rookie of the Month for October after totaling 10 points (6+4) in 13 games.

About last night

From the Lexus Postgame Report…
In the end, the Sabres looked back on their 6-1 loss to the Washington Capitals on Friday and could trace it back to a brief stretch in the first period.
The Capitals built a 4-0 lead all within a span of 4:27. The run began with a breakaway goal from Jakub Vrana, continued 42 seconds later with a goal from Chandler Stephenson on a 3-on-1 rush, and finished with one-time goals from Vrana and Brendan Leipsic.
Against the only team ahead of them in the league standings, it created a hole the Sabres were never able to climb out of.
"We're disappointed with what happened in the first period, of course," Sabres coach Ralph Krueger said. "We got away from the game, the simple game and the decisions we needed to make with the puck. We gave them, really, everything they got in the first period and we had some excellent opportunities that we didn't capitalize on.
"It could have been definitely a different game. We could have used some of those early chances. But at the end, we have to be disappointed with the first period. We just couldn't climb back into this one."

The Sabres rebounded and went on to out-chance the Capitals in the first period, 14-9 (according to NaturalStatTrick.com). Braden Holtby turned away scoring chances from Jack Eichel, Conor Sheary, and Evan Rodrigues, among others. A Colin Miller shot deflected off the post in the final minute.
Buffalo finally solved Holtby at the 10:40 mark of the second period, when Henri Jokiharju sent a shot through traffic that went in for his first NHL goal. But Tom Wilson tipped a shot past Ullmark to restore Washington's three-goal lead 6:13 later, and T.J. Oshie capped the scoring late in the third.

With a visit from the New York Islanders - winners of eight straight games - coming in KeyBank Center in less than 24 hours, the Sabres have the benefit of needing to turn the page quickly. Krueger said they would fly back to Buffalo, get a good night's sleep, then head to the rink with an eye toward learning from their game on Friday.
Read the full recap here.

Today in Sabres history

1996:Dominik Hasek makes 32 saves and Patrick Roy stops all 20 Buffalo shots as the Sabres and Avalanche duel to the fifth scoreless tie in Sabres history.