PGP Game 32, Sabres @ Isles 12/19/07 7:00 PM

The Isles take on the Sabres as they try to get back on a winning track Wednesday night.
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BIG Matchup:

Check Back Later.
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(15-14-2)

The Isles, coming off of a loss to the Penguins on Saturday, have been having a bumpy 1st 1/3 of the season. Starting good, going bad, going okay, and now going up and down every game.

Winning streaks seem very hard to come by for the Isles these days, and they really need them right now. If things can finally come to shape, things may start to go in, and W's will start to get back on the record. Tonight is a must-win in my thoughts, because more losses mean more wasted games that they didn't win. It's only 82 games. Every loss makes it a 1 game shorter season. And when it all comes down, winning means everything.

With the recent act and suspension of F Chris Simon, things can get pretty shaky in the lockeroom. But with Comeau back up, the power of the young may propel the Isles to a victory. You are probably not getting a "Shelly Duncan type" performance by Comeau, but that speed and energy can do some magical things itself.


PREGAME NOTES:

-D Marc Andre Bergeron is scratched. (Thank you!)

-D Bryan Berard is scratched.

-D Freddy Meyer with suit up.

-F Blake Comeau will make his season debut tonight.


MY PROJECTED LINES:

Goaltenders
39 Rick DiPietro
34 Wade Dubielewicz

Defensemen
32 Brendan Witt - 24 Radek Martinek
25 Andy Sutton - 44 Freddy Meyer
14 Chris Campoli - 8 Bruno Gervais

Forwards
26 Ruslan Fedotenko - 89 Mike Comrie - 13 Bill Guerin
11 Andy Hilbert - 18 Mike Sillinger - 7 Trent Hunter
20 Sean Bergenheim - 63 Josef Vasicek - 81 Miroslav Satan
? Blake Comeau – 10 Richard Park - 28 Tim Jackman


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The Buffalo Sabres. Last year, hearing that name made me want to run and hide under a table. This year, that's not so much the case.

The Sabres, who are almost equal to the Isles in records, have also been struggling. And, if I was a Sabre fan, I'd say this is a must win for them too. But unfortunately, only one team can win.

The season series between the two teams is 2-1 Isles right now.

"May the best team win."

No, I'd prefer if the Isles won.


PREGAME NOTES:

-G Ryan Miller has played all but one period of the Sabres' last 10 games.

-D Nolan Pratt was scratched for the second straight game, coinciding with the return of D Henrik Tallinder. Coach Lindy Ruff opted for the speed of rookie D Andrej Sekera over the experience of Pratt.


MY PROJECTED LINES:

Forwards
26 - Thomas Vanek 9 - Derek Roy 21 - Drew Stafford
55 - Jochen Hecht (A) 19 - Tim Connolly 29 - Jason Pominville
12 - Ales Kotalik 28 - Paul Gaustad 61 - Maxim Afinogenov
20 - Daniel Paille 22 - Adam Mair 76 - Andrew Peters

Defensemen
6 - Jaroslav Spacek (A) 51 - Brian Campbell (C)
5 - Toni Lydman 10 - Henrik Tallinder
45 - Dmitri Kalinin 38 - Nathan Paetsch

Goaltenders
30 - Ryan Miller
35 - Jocelyn Thibault

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Official Preview:

"The New York Islanders' response to Chris Simon's latest on-ice transgression seemed to suggest they're now used to such actions. They'll look to minimize the distraction from the incident and try to get back on track when they host the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday.

The Islanders and Simon agreed Monday that the rugged forward should take a paid leave of absence after he took down and stepped on Pittsburgh's Jarkko Ruutu on Saturday, drawing a match penalty for intent to injure, in New York's 3-2 loss. Simon was playing in only his 26th game since sitting out the season's first five contests while completing a 25-game suspension, levied for his stick attack on the New York Rangers' Ryan Hollweg on March 8.

That was his sixth NHL suspension, and Simon is scheduled to meet with disciplinarian Colin Campbell on Tuesday in Toronto. In advance of what will almost certainly be another lengthy ban, the Islanders opted to have Simon leave the team now.

"We discussed the measures we have to take," coach Ted Nolan said. "Chris is very remorseful and very sorry for his actions. As an organization, we don't condone it. We appreciate the thing he did. On the flip side, we have to have some compassion, some understanding and some support."

New York (15-14-2) is hoping to limit the impact of Simon's transgression and keep its focus as it tries to make a move in the Atlantic Division. While the Islanders are a game above .500, they're in last place in the tightly bunched division and have been unable to put together a sustained run of late. New York hasn't won two in a row since Nov. 16 and 19.

The Isles, who have alternated wins and losses in their last four games, have an NHL-low 71 goals. They haven't scored more than three in a game since Nov. 1.

The Sabres (16-14-1) are also in last with 33 points in the Northeast Division, but are looking to win four straight games since a season-high five-game run from Nov. 16-26. Buffalo has been unable to climb out of the cellar despite going 10-4-0 in their last 14 contests.

"We're taking more pride in playing defensively and blocking shots," left wing Thomas Vanek said. "I think it's paying off."

The Sabres' three-game win streak began last Wednesday with a 5-3 home win over the Islanders, the teams' first meeting since New York opened the season with a home-and-home sweep of Buffalo.

"We have to be able to win those tight ones," forward Jason Pominville said after the Sabres' 3-1 victory over Chicago on Saturday. "That's usually the sign of a good time. It's not every night you'll be able to score five or six goals."

The Sabres hope Maxim Afinogenov can continue to emerge from his offensive funk Wednesday, as he has a goal and three assists during the three-game win streak. Afinogenov has managed just five goals and 10 assists in 31 games, a season after recording 17 goals and 23 assists during the first 31 contests.

The right wing has six goals and 11 assists in 25 games against the Islanders."
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