(SportsNetwork.com) – The Buffalo Sabres aim to extend their recent success
over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night as the clubs square off at First
Niagara Center.
The Sabres are just 3-8-2 this season, but have won seven of their last eight
against the Oilers, who come in having lost four straight and winless on the
road this season.
Edmonton had lost three straight in Buffalo before picking up a 3-2 victory in
February of last season.
The Sabres are 1-0-1 on a four-game homestand and 1-1-2 in their past four
games overall following a 2-1 shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens on
Wednesday. P.A. Parenteau had the deciding goal for the Habs.
Buffalo’s Brian Gionta and the Canadiens’ Alex Galchenyuk were both successful
in the first round of the shootout. Parenteau, the third shooter for Montreal,
skated up the middle, fooled Michal Neuvirth with a head fake and ended the
game with a quick wrister into the top of the net.
Neuvirth made 31 saves and Drew Stafford scored in regulation, with Tyler
Ennis registering his 100th career assist on the tally.
“The effort tonight was really good. We’ve been getting good goaltending and I
liked how we battled back,” Sabres coach Ted Nolan said.
Nolan will start Jhonas Enroth in net tonight. Enroth is just 1-6-1 with a
3.34 goals against average and .908 save percentage in eight starts this
season, losing each of his past five outings. He also lost his only other
career start versus the Oilers, allowing three goals on 28 shots.
The Oilers play the third contest of a five-game road trip and fell to 0-4-1
on the road this season with last night’s 5-2 setback in Boston. The Bruins
broke the game open on third-period power-play goals by Carl Soderberg and
Dougie Hamilton.
Boyd Gordon and Mark Arcobello recorded the goals for Edmonton, while Ben
Scrivens stopped 27-of-31 shots in defeat.
“You can’t give a dangerous team like that power-play chances,” said Scrivens.
“We need to find a way to close teams out.”
Edmonton, playing without forward Taylor Hall (sprained left knee) and
defenseman Andrew Ference (suspension), could start Viktor Fasth in net his
evening.
Fasth, who has never faced the Sabres, has made three starts this season and
is 0-2-1 with a 4.70 GAA and .861 save percentage.
