Sabres Slashes: Weekly Preview 1/28/18-2/3/18

The Buffalo Sabres are looking to continue the momentum of two shutout wins against the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks before the All Star Break.

They will take on the New Jersey Devils tonight at home. On Thursday night, the Florida Panthers come to town, and then they end the week by facing the St. Louis Blues.

Buffalo needs to get off to a fast start in this game, and set the pace early. The Sabres need to win the special teams battle since they haven't exactly been the strongest team on the power play and penalty kill this season. Buffalo should try to force some turnovers to spend some time in the offensive zone, and get some shots on goal to test the goalie out early in the game. The Sabres will have to figure out a way to stop Taylor Hall, who leads the Devils in goals, assists and points since he will be returning to the lineup after missing a few games due to injury. Buffalo will want to use its speed to create in the offensive zone and draw some penalties.

The Devils should test out the goaltending early and often since a both teams are coming off of the All Star Break. New Jersey will want to establish the forecheck and cycle game to spend some time in the offensive zone. The Devils need to take advantage of a weak Sabres' penalty kill. New Jersey will want to try to get off to a fast start and get the first goal of the game if they want to try to get on a roll to acquired some points. The Devils need to make sure that they don't play down to their opponent, and stay focused.

On Thursday night, the Sabres take on a fellow Atlantic Division team in the Florida Panthers, who have been struggling lately. Buffalo needs to get pucks on net with traffic especially if the veteran goalies James Reimer and Roberto Luongo aren't back from their injuries. They'll want to test the young starting goalie. The Sabres should come out with more energy to get better starts to games since they've been outscored 44-22 in first periods of games. Buffalo needs to play with discipline since they don't have the best penalty kill. The Sabres want to be the better team while playing at even strength since the Panthers have struggled in this area. Bufffalo will want to stop the balanced attack of the Panthers especially Jonathan Huberdeau and Vincent Trocheck.

The Panthers will want to have the lead entering the third period since they are only 5-17-3 when trailing after two periods. Florida needs to get the power play going against a weak penalty kill since they have the talent on the power play to score some goals. The Panthers will need to get off to a better start and set the tone early in the game. Florida will need to take care of the puck because the Sabres have a few guys that can take advantage of turnovers like Jack Eichel and Evander Kane. The Panthers need to break out of a slump and this would be the perfect game to do so.

Buffalo ends the week with a visit from the St. Louis Blues, who have been playing better hockey as of late. The Sabres will need a good defensive game from top to bottom since the Blues have the fire power to score a ton of goals. Buffalo needs the goaltending to come up big in this game since the Blues will have their chances. The Sabres will need to play a good game at even strength. Buffalo will need to stop the balanced attack of the Blues, and to be aware of the Blues defense corps since they can rack up some points.

The Blues need to make sure that they have the lead entering the final period. St. Louis needs to make sure that they get the first goal of the game and keep attacking. The Blues need to make sure that they play a good game and don't lose focus to the Sabres, who are looking to play spoiler for teams in the playoff race. St. Louis will need to stop Jack Eichel and get plenty of shots on goal with traffic in front. The Blues will need to make sure that they are good at even strength since they don't have the best special teams numbers in the League.

Shooting Stars: Weekly Preview 11/12/17-11/18/17

The Dallas Stars have a good opportunity to pick up some much needed points this week.

They’ll face the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night, who are last in the Metropolitan Division. On Tuesday, they will travel to Florida to take on the Panthers, who are last in the Atlantic Division. They’ll then take on the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night and finish out the week against the
EdMonton Oilers on Saturday night. The Oilers have been struggling to put the puck in the net so far this season.

The Stars will need to need to find a way to contain Carolina’s Jeff Skinner, who leads the team in goals and is second in points. Dallas has good special teams and should use that to their advantage and cash in on their power plays. The Stars will need to play a solid 60-minute game, and not take off because the Canes will take advantage of any mistakes made. Dallas needs to get off to a fast start, establish the forecheck and not overtook the Hurricanes. The game could be close defensively so the Stars are going to have to use their speed and use the stretch pass to get behind the defense.

Carolina will need to make sure that they play a good game at even strength since the special teams aren’t too good. The Canes will need to make sure that they keep an eye on Alexander Radulov since he can produce points. The Hurricanes need to get the first goal of the game since they are 4-1-1 when doing so. The goaltending is going to need to come up big for Carolina since the Stars have some offensive weapons that can put the puck in the net. If Carolina has a power play then they’ll need to be sure to take advantage of it since Dallas doesn’t have he beat road penalty kill.

Dallas will need to stop the top four (Huberdeau, Barkov, Trocheck & Dadonov) of the Panthers and make the rest of the lineup beat them. The Stars will need to get some pucks on net with traffic in front since neither goalie for Florida has been spectacular this year. The Stars need to watch out for the defensive corps of the Panthers because they will join in the offensive zone. Dallas needs to make sure that they have the lead entering the third period since they don’t have any third period comebacks for wins this year.

The Panthers are going to need to play a strong even strength game since their special teams aren't that good. They'll need to have a better start to this game, and get some scoring chances and offensive pressure early since they have been outscored in first period of games this year. Florida will need to find a way to stop the balanced attack of the Stars by establishing a forecheck and cycle game to play in the offensive zone. The Panthers need to play a disciplined game since the Stars have the best power play in the League. Florida needs to avoid mistakes with the puck and turnovers.

Ben Bishop and the Stars will then go and visit Tampa Bay to play the Lighting. Dallas will need to avoid mistakes with and without the puck and also not turn the puck over. They will need to contain Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov by spending some time in the offensive zone and less time defending. Dallas will need to take advantage of the bad home penalty kill of the Bolts. The Stars will need to get the first goal of the game to take the crowd out of the game.

The Bolts will need to use their speed to enter the offensive zone. Tampa Bay will need to be good at even strength since the Stars are in the top three in both power play and penalty kill percentage. The Bolts need to get off to a fast start and just keep bringing the pressure. Tampa Bay will need to play a full 60 minutes since the Stars have guys that can put the puck in the net at any given time. They'll need to get pucks on net and pressure the defense to force turnovers in the neutral zone and offensive zone.

The Stars return home on Saturday to face Connor McDavid and the Oilers, who haven't gotten off to the best start this year. The Stars will need to find a way to contain McDavid and his speed since once he gets going, the will blow right by the defender to create something out of nothing. Dallas need to get pucks on net since the goalies haven't been as good as they were last season. They also need to get off to a fast start to keep the home crowd in the game, and maybe even score the first goal of the game. The Stars will need to have a good game defensively meaning elimination of turnovers, good coverage by all five guys on the ice and timely saves from whichever goalie happens to be in the net.

Edmonton will need to get pucks to the net with traffic in front and get a dirty goal or two to get the offense going. They'll need to stay out of the penalty box. The Oilers need to win the even strength battle to even have a shot at winning the game since the Stars special teams are that good. Edmonton will need to have the goalie steal a game for them. The Oilers will need to play a solid road game and play a good first 10 minutes of the game to be scoreless and get the offense involved in the game a little. 

3 Keys: Panthers @ Sabres- 11/10/17

The Buffalo Sabres look to continue their winning ways after coming off of a 3-1 win over the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night. The Panthers will be looking to end their five game losing streak.

Here are three keys to the Atlantic Division game on Friday night:

1.) KEEP TOP 6 OF PANTHERS IN-CHECK- SABRES

The Sabres will need to keep the top two lines of the Panthers in-check since they seem to be the guys producing on the team. They will need to play good defense and play in the offensive zone when the top six are on the ice. Buffalo should try to establish a good forecheck and cycle game early so they can spend some time in the offensive zone. The Sabres need to be physical, but also play smart and avoid turnovers because the top six will make you pay, if the puck is turned over.

2.) FAST START- PANTHERS

The Panthers and the Sabres will both be coming off of two days off, and the Panthers need to get off to a fast start. They need to get the first goal of the game, and get some pucks on net since the Sabres goalies haven't been stellar this year. Florida will need to set the tone of the game early, whether it be with their speed, or with physicality. The Panthers need to get in on the forecheck and establish a good cycle game to spend some time in the offensive zone.

3.) TOP LINE VS. TOP LINE- SABRES & PANTHERS

The Sabres and Panthers have top lines that can do some damage when they are on the ice. Buffalo's first line of Evander Kane, Jack Eichel and Jason Pominville have been dominate since they've been put together. They have been one of the few bright spots through the the first 15 games of the year for the Sabres team. The Panthers first line of Jonathan Huberdeau, Sasha Barkov and Evgenii Dadonov have also been lightning the lamp and producing through the first 14 games of the year. The Sabres will have to do a good job defensively against this line or it could be another long night.

Sabres Slashes: Weekly Preview 11/5/17-11/11/17

The Buffalo Sabres are looking to bounce back from a week where they only got two out of a possible eight points. It won't be an easy task.

The Sabres will take on the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night, and then they'll have two days off before a back-to-back situation with divisional implications. On Friday night, the Sabres will host the Florida Panthers, who have been struggling themselves. On Saturday night, Buffalo takes a trip to Montreal to face the Canadiens, who have managed to get a few wins lately.

The Sabres need to find a way to stop the balanced lineup of the Capitals. Buffalo will need to establish a forecheck, and a good cycle game to spend some time in the offensive zone. The Sabres are going to need to find a way to stop Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Buffalo needs to get some traffic in front of the net to take away the goalie's eyes and get some deflections. The Sabres need to get the first goal of the game and then keep building off of it. The biggest key to tonight's game is to avoid turnovers because the Capitals will take advantage of them and turn them into scoring chances and/or goals.

The Caps are only playing .500 hockey in its past 10 games. They need to pressure the puck carrier of the Sabres to force turnovers because the Sabres will turn the puck over at times. Washington needs to get the early lead and keep being aggressive or the Sabres will take advantage and try to get the win. The Caps will need to find a way to slow down Jack Eichel and Evander Kane. When the Capitals are on the power play, they will need to be aware of the shorthanded presence of Eichel and Kane, who have score a few shorthanded goals this year. Washington needs to get pucks on net because the goalies for Buffalo haven't exactly been reliable this season and have let in some soft goals.

The Sabres will have two days off before taking on the Panthers at home. Buffalo will need to take advantage of a weak penalty kill of the Panthers, and they also need to use their speed to draw penalties. The Sabres need to eliminate time and space from the skilled players of Florida like Jonathan Huberdeau, Sasha Barkov, Evgenii Dadonov and Vincent Trocheck. Buffalo will also have to be aware of where and when defenseman Aaron Ekblad is on the ice because he can fire it from the point. One of the goalies is going to have to step up and win a game for the Sabres, which they haven't done enough of this year. The Sabres just need to get pucks on net since the goalies for Florida haven't exactly been Vezina-like this year.

The Panthers will need to find a way to stop the top line of the Sabres, which consists of Evander Kane, Jack Eichel and Jason Pominville. The line has combined for 38 points in 14 games so far this year. Florida will also need to be sure that they have the lead after the second period because they haven't lost a game when leading after two periods, but they are only 1-6-0 when trailing heading into the third period. The Panthers need to use their speed through the neutral zone to back Buffalo into their own zone. The two teams are going to need to fight through the physical play. The Panthers need to get off to a fast start since the Sabres have allowed 17 first period goals.

The Sabres visit the Canadiens, who could still be without an injured Carey Price. The Sabres need to make sure that they have the lead entering the third period since they give up a lot in the third period of games. Buffalo need to watch out for the Shea Weber bombs that can come from the point especially on the power play. The Sabres need to be a lot better when playing at even strength, and they need to get off to a fast start, which has been a problem this season. Buffalo is going to need to find way to contain Jonathan Drouin and Brendan Gallagher.

The Canadiens need to make sure that they get pucks on net and have plenty of traffic in front of the opposing goalie. The Habs need to find a way to take advantage of the weak road penalty kill of the Sabres. Montreal needs to get off to better starts since they have been outscored 23-14 in first period of games. The Canadiens need to play a complete game, tighten up on defense and avoid turnovers. If the Habs an get some pucks on net then they are bound to get a few goals since the Sabres goalies haven't been the best this year.

Flying Forward: Weekly Preview 10/15/17-10/21/17

The Philadelphia Flyers are looking to take advantage of playing in front of the home crowd this week.

The Flyers will have a tough week ahead as they take on the Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators and Edmonton Oilers. The Panthers have struggled on the road, the Predators will likely be without Nick Bonino and the Oilers are just struggling to start the season off. It may not look like it's going to be a tough week, but it could be if the Flyers don't get decent goaltending and play defense.

On Tuesday night, the Flyers take on Jonathan Huberdeau and the Panthers. Philly has to get the first goal of the game since they have won all three games in which they have done so. The Orange and Black will need to use the crowd to get off to a fast start and establish the forecheck and cycle game early so they can spend some time in the offensive zone. The Flyers need to bring its balanced attack that they have and roll out all four of its line. It would be nice if Philly could get its third line of Dale Weise, Nolan Patrick and Travis Konecny going with some attack time and chances in the offensive zone. The Flyers need to keep an eye on the top six forwards of the Panthers especially Jonathan Huberdeau and Evgeni Dadonov since those two lead the team in points.

Florida will need to win the special teams battle, and take advantage of a somewhat weak penalty kill by the Flyers. The Panthers should establish the forecheck game early so they can spend time in the offensive zone to minimize chances by Philadelphia. Florida will need a solid 60 minute road effort to beat the Flyers since they seem to get better as the game goes on. The Panthers need to bring their skating legs and keep short shifts especially in the third period since that it is the Flyers best period. Florida needs to find a way to stop the top line of Claude Giroux, Sean Couturier and Jake Voracek because the managed to rack up 10 points in an 8-2 win over the Capitals on Saturday night.

On Thursday night, the Flyers will have a rematch against the Nashville Predators, who they lost 6-5 to last week in the final three minutes of the game. The Orange and Black need to use its speed to attack the Predators and force turnovers. The Flyers need to get the first goal, not sit back and then start taking penalties. The will have to watch out for the speed of the Predators in transition especially Filip Forsberg. Philly will need be disciplined and stay out of the penalty box since the can really score with the man advantage.

The Predators need to be careful since this is a revenge game for Philadelphia. Nashville is going to need to stay out of the penalty box since Philly's power play can put the puck in the net. The Preds will need to figure out a way to stop the balanced attack of the Flyers. If Nashville learned anything in its 6-5 win against Philly last week, it should have been to get the puck on net because Brian Elliott and Michal Neuvirth can be shaky at times during a game. The Predators need to watch out for the defense of the Flyers joining the play in the offensive zone.

The Flyers end the week with a visit from the struggling Edmonton Oilers and Connor McDavid. Philly need to keep the top six of the Oilers off the board. They'll need to get pucks on net with traffic for deflections. The Oilers penalty kill hasn't been great so far this year so the Flyers need to take advantage when they are up a man. Philadelphia needs to skate, keep its feet moving, draw penalties and have speed going through the neutral zone to keep the defensemen of the Oilers honest.

Edmonton will need to win the special teams battle since the Flyers penalty kill isn't the best in the NHL. The Oilers need to get the first goal of the game. Edmonton needs to have better starts to games since they have been outscored 6-2 in the first period. The Oilers will need to play a full 60 minutes and limits its mistakes. Edmonton are going to need to keep an eye on the speed of Philadelphia especially through the neutral zone.

3 Things: Panthers vs. Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning will open its season at home against the Florida Panthers tonight at 7:30 p.m. 

Here are three things to watch for in tonight's game: 

1.) Make Bottom Six Beat You- Bolts

The Lightning are going to need to keep the top six forwards of the Panthers off the board. If they can manage to keep them off the board or at least in check then they will have a chance at winning the game, and stealing two important divisional points. The Panthers don't seem to have a lot in the bottom six that would really scare you offensively so the Bolts need to get favorable matchups out tonight especially with last change. If Tampa Bay can keep Jonathan Huberdeau, Sasha Barkov and Vincent Trocheck off the board then they should be in good shape tonight.

2.) Attack the Lightning Defense- Panthers

The Panthers need to get in on the forecheck and pressure the Lightning's defense every time they have the puck. Dan Girardi is being used with Victor Hedman on the top pair for the opening game, and he will turn the puck over if pressured. Mikhail Sergachev is a rookie playing in only his fifth NHL game, so Florida should see if they can rattle him, and hit him at every opportunity they  have. The Lightning defense will turn the puck over, but they can also move the puck well so the Panthers are going to need to get in on the forecheck quick tonight.

3.) Get the First Goal- Bolts & Panthers

Tampa Bay will have the home crowd behind them tonight especially since it is the home opener. The Bolts will need to get the first goal to keep the crowd into the game, and then keep building on the lead. The Panthers need to get the first goal to get the crowd out of the game, and make the Bolts chase the lead. If Florida can manage to get the first goal then they need to build on the lead. 

Lightning Strikes: Weekly Preview 10/4/17-10/7/17

The Tampa Bay Lightning start off the season with a home-and-home series against Atlantic Division Rival, the Florida Panthers.

On Friday night, the Lightning host the Panthers. If the Bolts want to win the game then they will keep to keep the trio of Jonathan Huberdeau, Vincent Trocheck and Sasha Barkov off the board. Tampa Bay needs to make the other Panthers on the ice beat them. The Lightning should use the loud, raucous crowd to its advantage to get off to a fast start. Tampa Bay is going to need to get the first goal to keep the crowd in the game and they'll need to use its balanced attack. If the Bolts can manage to get some pucks on net then they'll have a decent shot at winning the game.

If the Panthers want a chance at getting a big two points in the division, and on the road, then they'll need to get production up-and-down the lineup. They can't just rely on three players for its offense, everyone is going to need to pitch in. Florida will need to be smart with the puck and avoid turnovers in the neutral zone and its own zone because the Bolts will take advantage of mistakes. The Panthers need to play a solid, defensive road game. The Cats need to get in on the forecheck, pressure the Lightning defense, and get the first goal of the game.

These two teams will face off the next night, but this time the Panthers are the home team. If the Panthers want to win the game then the team will need to bring a balanced attack. Florida will need to try and go glove side or elevate the puck, if Andrei Vasilveskiy is in net for the Bolts. If Peter Budaj is in net for the Bolts, then the Panthers just need to get some pucks towards the net and have some movement going post-to-post. The Cats may also want to stay out of the penalty box and get the first goal of the game to keep the crowd behind them.

The Bolts will need to get off to a fast start, and take the lead to get the crowd out of the game. Tampa Bay needs to establish a cycle game early along with a good forecheck, just to limit the Panthers offensive zone time. The Lightning also need to get pucks on net and traffic in front of the opposing goal, whomever that may be since these two teams play on back-to-back nights. The Bolts are going to need a solid road effort and to shut down the Panthers.