Buffalo Sabres (2-4-0) vs New York Islanders (4-3-0)
Puck Drop: 7:00 PM | General Motors Centre | Oshawa, ON
TV: None
Radio: WGR 550
SB Nation Islanders Blog: Lighthouse Hockey
What to Watch
1. Roster Competition
This will be the final opportunity for players on the Sabres’ roster “bubble” to show that they belong in the opening night lineup. Young standouts like Tage Thompson, Alex Nylander and Lawrence Pilut will look to put together another strong outing and avoid being sent to Rochester to start the year.
2. Precautionary Holdouts
At his press conference yesterday, Phil Housley confirmed that veterans, Zach Bogosian, Marco Scandella, Jack Eichel, Johan Larsson, Conor Sheary, and Rasmus Ristolainen would not travel with the team to Oshawa. The head coach confirmed that these holdouts were merely precautionary due to minor, day-to-day ailments
3. Starting Lineup
The lines at practice yesterday were as follows:
Skinner – Sobotka – Reinhart
Nylander – Berglund – Thompson
Wilson – Mittelstadt – Okposo
Girgensons – Rodrigues – Pominville / Baptiste
Dahlin – McCabe
Beaulieu – Nelson
Guhle – Tennyson
Pilut – Bailey (F)
Hutton
Ullmark