Every once in a while, family members who play pro sports happen to play in the same area. The Sedin twins play together with the Vancouver Canucks and the Gronkowski brothers end up playing each other when the NFL schedule lines up correctly. This weekend in Buffalo, the Tavares family gets a chance to see two members play on two different nights.
John Tavares comes into Buffalo to face off against the Sabres after scoring a natural hat trick just one week ago. Since then, the Islanders have lost their last two games and continue to be in the bottom of Eastern Conference standings. The Sabres have been on a roll as of late, winners of five of their last seven games, including a victory over the Boston Bruins last night. Ryan Miller should continue to get the start in net for the Sabres again which would make this his 24th straight start in net. With two games in three nights this weekend, I wouldn't be surprised if Jhonas Enroth got a call up to start a game.
The second half of the John Tavares weekend comes when the NHL John Tavares' uncle, John Tavares, suits up for his 20th home opener with the Buffalo Bandits in the National Lacrosse League. Tavares is a living legend when it comes to the game of indoor lacrosse, with a career that has spanned decades and countless all-time records to back it up. The Buffalo Bandits open the home season with a game against heated rival Toronto. These two teams dislike each other so much that during a preseason game, a bench clearing brawl broke out that forced the game to be called:
A total of 33 players were punished for the game, most of which never made the starting roster. Whenever the Rock and Bandits get together though, fireworks are sure to fly.
Game time for the Islanders game is 7:00 pm and can be found on MSG. Game time for the Bandits/Rock game is Saturday at 7:30pm and can be found on Time Warner Sports. For more coverage of the Bandits and the National Lacrosse League, follow our pro lacrosse blog, In Lax We Trust, and find my game recaps at Buffalo Sports Daily.