Buffalo Sabres Visit Familiar Faces vs. Winnipeg Jets
The Buffalo Sabres will face a couple of familiar faces on Sunday afternoon when they visit the Winnipeg Jets for a 3 p.m. face-off.
First and foremost, the Buffalo Sabres will face former teammates Drew Stafford and Tyler Myers, both of whom have found reasonable success with the Jets.
Sunday’s game also marks a return to Winnipeg for former Jets Evander Kane and Zach Bogosian.
When asked about it on Saturday, Kane called it “just another game,” but it’s hard to ignore the history there. After all, both players were with the organization dating back to the days of the Atlanta Thrashers.
Regardless of any previous history, both Kane and Bogosian will undoubtedly look to have big games for the struggling Sabres on Sunday afternoon.
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Other former Buffalo Sabres now with the Jets: first-round pick Joel Aria; Adam Pardy, and Chris Thorburn.
The Buffalo Sabres are in a less-than-ideal place, having lost six games in a row heading into Sunday’s afternoon tilt.
They sit last in the Atlantic Division with 34 points on the season and are still looking for their first point in the month of January.
The Jets, meanwhile, are last in the Central Division with 41 points and an overall record of 19-19-3.
Despite their recent struggles, there are a few bright spots for the Buffalo Sabres.
Ryan O’Reilly, now halfway through his first season with the Buffalo Sabres, has registered 35 points, including a team-high 17 goals, in 41 games. Fifteen of his 35 points have come on the power-play, including seven goals.
Rookie Jack Eichel, officially halfway through his first NHL season, has recorded a respectable 26 points (13-13) in 41 games. He currently has a four-game point streak rolling and entered play on Saturday night ranked in the top five among NHL rookies in goals, assistants, points, shots and time on ice per game.
There’s also defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who, although stifled lately, is still third on the team in scoring with 26 points, including a team-high 19 assists.
The Jets have their own strikers. Right winger Blake Wheeler has averaged nearly a point-per-game, with 40 (10-30) in 41. Bryan Little has a team-high 14 goals.
Stafford has also registered 14 goals, along with eight assists for 22 total points on the season.
Myers is eighth on the team in scoring, second among Jets defensemen, with 18 points (5-13).
This afternoon’s game is the first of two meetings between the Buffalo Sabres and Winnipeg Jets this season.
The teams haven’t faced off in over a year; their last meeting resumed in a 5-1 Jets win on December 16, 2014.
Next: Rasmus Ristolainen Midseason Report Card
Following this afternoon’s game, the Buffalo Sabres finish off their three-game road trip with a matchup against the Minnesota Wild, and more former Buffalo Sabres players including Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville.