Update: With Jordan Leopold traded to St. Louis today, Mark Pysyk will dress for the Sabres.
Before the season started, the Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals both had playoff aspirations. As the season winds toward its end, however, both teams sit four points out of the playoffs, tied with 31 points each. Washington is one of the teams that the Sabres have to leapfrog to make the postseason (along with four other teams) so tonight’s win is about as important as they come, if you still believe in the playoff dream.
Game #35
Buffalo Sabres (13-16-5) vs. Washington Capitals (15-17-1)
Puck Drop – 7:00pm – First Niagara Center – Buffalo, NY
TV – MSG | Radio – WGR 550-AM
Capitals Blog – Jaspers’ Rink (Please play nice if you’re going to visit.)
Game Notes
Thomas Vanek is still out, and will be joined in the audience by John Scott and Mark Pysyk. Enroth takes his turn in net, as the Sabres play Boston tomorrow and Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
Projected Buffalo Lines
Ott – Hodgson – Pominville
Stafford – Ennis – Leino
Flynn – Porter – Foligno
Gerbe – Hecht – Kaleta
Ehrhoff – Weber
Regehr – Myers
Pysyk – Sekera
Goal: Jhonas Enroth
Scratches/Injuries: Vanek, Scott, Sulzer
Projected Washington Forward Lines
Johansson – Backstrom – Ovechkin
Laich – Ribeiro – Brouwer
Chimera – Perreault – Ward
Hendricks – Beagle – Wolski