Saturday, December 11, 2010

Penguins Gameday #31 (Sabres)

Penguins (20-8-2) 42 pts

Sabres (12-13-4) 28 pts)

Where: HSBC Arena

When: 7:00 ET

TV: FSNPIT

Sid and the Pens take their 11 game win streak up to Buffalo to face the dangerous but still struggling Sabres. The last time these 2 teams played it was a defensive struggle, and both red-hot goaltenders should again make it difficult to put points on the board.

Opponents to Watch:

Thomas Vanek: When healthy, Vanek is one of the most dangerous scorers in the league. I'd keep the Martin-Michalek pairing against him all night.

Tyler Myers: He does sometimes find his way on the scoreboard, but most of the time he serves as a powerplay captain and overall dominating presence.

Mike Grier: The strangest thing about this guy is that he really has no special skill set. He just shows up for work and moves the puck on the net.

Keys to Victory:

-The Sabres have last change at home, and will constantly try to smother Sid with Montador/Myers. The key for the Pens is to pounce all over the mismatches if/when the opportunity comes along and try to cash in.

-The Pens are a slightly deeper team than Buffalo, and the 3rd and 4th lines can probably do some serious damage if they come out to play. Use all 16 skaters effectively.

-Win streaks often carry a lot of pressure. Managing the added attention will be important if the Pens hope to continue.

Notes:

Dustin Jeffrey was recalled yesterday from WBS. No word on whether or not he is playing tomorrow. Also not much info on Malkin.



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