Preview: Flyers @ Sabres

The bad feelings may not be what they once were, but Sabres fans remember just who denied them their first Stanley Cup.

Philly’s Broadstreet Bullies are storming into town for Buffalo’s last home game before a matchup with the Boston Bruins and former Sabre Danny Paille tomorrow night.

This game has all the makings of a great one, with two fantastic goaltenders going head to head and two deep offenses. Chris Pronger and Craig Rivet’s bluelines – as well as the men in net – are going to have their work cut out for them.

Keys to the Game:

• Stay out of the box. Buffalo has been fairly good about not getting into penalty trouble, but their middling PK can’t afford to go up against the league’s top powerplay.
• Keep on the forecheck. The two games against the Islanders are night and day: A Buffalo team getting shut out on the road in part due to bad breakout passes and lack of offensive zone puck cycling – they lost possession almost as soon as they gained it, giving a not-very-talented Islanders team a chance at chasing Miller to the bench. In contrast, their game at home against the Islanders kept relentless pressure, scoring two goals right at the crease and giving Miller a relatively quiet night in net as he recorded his second shutout of the season. Philly plays fast, and they play a bruising game, and the Sabres can’t get intimidated by it.
• Pronger. Says it all. I watched the guy for three seasons in Anaheim, and when he’s given space, he can devastate both from the point and on defense. But when pressured in the defensive zone, he has a bad tendency to resort to mainstays of pre-lockout big physical stay at home defensemen – those tiny little obstruction penalties that can suck the life out of a team’s offensive rhythm as they’re put on the PK. Guys like Kaleta and Kennedy – who have a wonderful ability to get under the skin of opposing players – are going to need to bring their A-Game, since the big guy has one hell of a temper when provoked, and one that will get him into trouble. His much-ballyhooed nasty streak can be used against him.

This one is going to be a hard fought battle, but the Sabres are coming into this with the hottest goaltender in the NHL, four lines that can bring grit and offense, and a league-low goals surrendered (a good 6 less than the next closest team).

More to come as the game starts.

- C.