It's time folks, time for some good old division rivalry. I won't lie, with the decline of Toronto and the fact that Montreal is a bunch of midgets, I am starting to look forward to these Ottawa-Buffalo games more than any others.
Or maybe that's just because we routinely kick their asses?
OFFENSE: The Sabres are technically 11th in the league with 2.76 goals per game while the Sens are 19th with 2.62. Thomas Vanek leads the team with 23 goals, and Tim Connolly leads their team with 65 points. Neither however strike fear in me. In 33 games against Ottawa lifetime, Vanek has 24 points, this year 2 goals in 4 games, no assists. The Sens are missing top left wingers Milan Michalek (22 goals) and Alex Kovalev (47 points). Never thought I'd say it, but slight edge SABRES.
DEFENCE: The Sabres have given up less goals this year than Ottawa, but that is more a result of Ryan Miller than fantastic Sabre defence. The way the Sens D are playing (especially Sutton, Phillips and Volchy) and the fact that outside of Tyler Myers they really have no one, this is a win for the SENS.
GOALTENDING: Ya, ok. I don't care that B-Ells has been good the last two games or that against the Sens Ryan Miller's GAA is 0.10 higher than it is against the rest of the league. He's the best goalie in the world. EDGE: SABRES
SPECIAL TEAMS: Both teams struggle on the power play, being in the bottom third of the league in the category, and with 7 minutes the other night the Sens mustered 2 posts and no goals. Buffalo's penalty kill is actually better than the Senators, 2nd in the league! Again, your goalie has to be your best Penalty killer and well.. he is the best goalie. EDGE: SABRES
Players to watch:
Ottawa: With Kovalev now joining Michalek on the sidelines, look for big games from Matt Cullen and Peter Regin, both who have been given chances to play up on the top two lines recently. However, the Captain has 76 points in 74 career games against Buffalo. Simply put; they are his bitch. As always watch how angry Buffalo gets at Ruutu and Neil.
Buffaslugs: I'm not sure there is a player in the league that hates Ottawa more than Adam Mair, as evidenced by his 133 career penalty minutes against Ottawa (4.03 per game!). Jason Pomminville constantly puts up points in Buffalo and his 20 in 30 games against the Sens is reason enough to watch him. Tyler Myers and Ryan Miller are really the only two players to watch however.
CONSENSUS PREDICTIONS:
Young: I know I wrote edge to Sabres more than edge to Senators, and the numbers will have you believe that. However, the intangibles are that the Sens have owned the Sabres winning 8 in a row and I hope to see that continue. In the immortal words of Mark Christopher F Buffalo.
3-1 Ottawa
Oakes: When your most offensive players have a) gotten their face broken by an anton Volchenkov shot b) been concussed by Peter Schaefer.. we at Ottawa's Consensus consider you a walk in the park... but who walks in the park in buffalo.. it is a shit hole. So Ottawa will keep this close.
3-2 Ottawa
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