The Buffalo Sabres know all about coaching changes, having gone through one themselves earlier this season. Tonight’ they’ll be the first team to face Tampa Bay since they relieved former head coach Guy Boucher of his duties, and promoted AHL coach Jon Cooper to the big show. However, in an interesting note, Cooper will make his Lightning debut not tonight, but on Friday. Tampa assistants Dan Lacroix and Steve Thomas will be behind the Lightning bench tonight, and will then stay on to assist Cooper this season.
Game #33
Buffalo Sabres (13-15-4) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (13-18-1)
Puck Drop – 7:30pm – Tampa Bay Times Forum – Tampa, FL
TV – MSG, Sun Sports | Radio – WGR 550-AM
Lightning Blog – Raw Charge (Please play nice if you’re going to visit.)
Game Notes
The Sabres will head into tonight’s tilt with the same lineup that soundly and unequivocally dominated the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, which means Drew Stafford will once again be a healthy scratch along with John Scott and Andrej Sekera. Mark Pysyk continues his fledgling NHL career tonight, and Ryan Miller will be in net.
For Tampa, they have some big pieces out in Vincent Lecavalier and Ryan Malone, and will start Mathieu Garon in net tonight.
Projected Buffalo Lines
Ott – Hodgson – Pominville
Vanek – Ennis – Leino
Foligno – Porter – Flynn
Kaleta – Hecht – Gerbe
Ehrhoff – Weber
Regehr – Myers
Leopold – Pysyk
Scratches/Injuries: Stafford, Scott, Sekera, Sulzer