Sabres VS Islanders Outlook

[Canadian Sabres]

SABRES (21-24-6) at ISLANDERS (21-22-7)

Last 10: Buffalo 3-6-1; New York 6-3-1

Season Series: It's the third of four meetings, with the Islanders having won the first two -- including a 4-2 victory at the Nassau Coliseum three weeks ago.

Big Story: Talk about two teams in desperate need of two points: The Sabres are 2-0-1 in their last three games, but left a point on the table Wednesday night when not even Ryan Miller's shutout was good enough in a 1-0 shootout loss to the Rangers. The Islanders try for a perfect week after winning 5-2 in Carolina on Tuesday and 2-1 in overtime at Ottawa on Friday to leap over the Sabres into 12th place in the East.

Injury Report: Vanek will not be in tonight's matchup as he is still out (Upper Body) that he suffered in Tuesdays matchup against the Montreal Canadiens Vanek from what I hear is projected to be out till at least next Tuesday and Jochen Hecht (Concussion) is no where near coming back. Islanders are without Marty Reasoner (broken hand)

Top Scorers: Here is scoring outlook based on the previous 2 games these teams have played

Islanders: Matt Moulson +2 (2G 1A 3PTS), Micheal Grabner +1 (2G 0A 2pts) and P.A. Parenteau +2 (0G 3A 3PTS) lead the charge as the the leading scorers in the 2 previous games versus Buffalo other notables John Tavares +4 (0G 2A 2PTS).

Buffalo: Although with no real top scorers against the Islanders because of a dismel 2 games being outscored 6-3, and some injuries to Hecht and Vanek there is still potent scoring potential that can light up this Islanders team. IE Leino, Pominville, Roy, and Stafford. Hecht, Roy and Kaleta all have 1 goal versus the Isles through 2 games.

Goalie Outlook: Enroth (GAA 2.52 SV% .928) has started the 2 games for Buffalo against the Isles while Nabokov (GAA: 2.00 SV% .920) and Montoya (GAA:1.00 SV% .968) split the 2 games.

My thoughts are that it will be Miller vs Montoya as by statistics Montoya has the better stats than Nabokov and Miller has not played yet against the Isles.

Buffalo took 5/6 points in the last 3 games but are still trailing the 8th and final playoff spot by 10PTS because of no help from any of the teams, the team is ranked 27th in scoring and really needs their big names to step up mostly Leino if he can start producing the Sabres can find themselves quickly climbing themselves out of the hole they dug themselves.

Pominville is the front runner with his partner in crime in Vanek out with his UBI to continue to keep producing.

The Sabres are showing potential in becoming a very dangerous team to play aginast as of their last 3 games are showing they wont be taken lightly anymore playing phenomial hockey.

Sabres win tonight they vault over the Isles and Tampabay into 11th place right behind 10th Winnipeg who has 54pts, that is hoping Florida playing Tampa Bay hope that the surgent 3rd place DIVISION LEADING! Panthers can hold off their rivals.

I leave you with a great bit of Sabres vs Isles past

LETS GO BUFFALO!

Stats courtesy of NHL.com

[hf101]

Welcome to the forum,

Moulson and Tarvares have been playing well lately, I think the Islanders will get a win at home.

[Digityman]

@Canadian Sabres

Welcome

Islanders seem to be on their way up and the Sabres on their way down.

Islanders are really on the cusp of being a team that will seriously challenge for playoff spots in the coming years. Lot's of good young players from sucking for so long. Going to be tough but I think you'll see all 5 Atlantic teams make the playoffs in the next two years.

I don't understand how Ruff is still coaching the Sabres.

Do you think Miller will actually be traded?

[hf101]

OK. I was wrong. The Sabers came back to win tonight.