Before the lockout, the Buffalo Sabres were high on the list of NHL teams who faced extinction. Since then, they’ve gotten new owners, enjoyed a “golden age” of sorts with the high octane Daniel Briere/Chris Drury editions, lost those players and then fully committed to building the team around Ryan Miller.
They haven’t been able to put much star power around Miller, though, leading in some part to his difficulty producing a sequel to his smash-hit 2009-10 season. Their off-the-ice problems might be a thing of the past soon, though, as deep-pocked hockey fan Terry Pegula’s ownership is supposed to become 100 percent official on Tuesday.
Now, the Sabres just need to make it clear to Pegula and their front office that they should be a buyer during the trade deadline. Buffalo is tied for ninth place with the Atlanta Thrashers at 60 points, which parks them four points behind the Carolina Hurricanes for the East’s final playoff spot. The good news is that they do hold three games in hand against Carolina and Atlanta, though.
The bad news is that they are on a four-game home losing streak, which won’t be able to break even if this edition of the Washington Capitals isn’t quite as frightening as the 09-10 model. The Capitals lost four of their last five games to keep them five points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for the top spot in the Southeast Division.
Despite that doom and gloom, there is a silver lining: Russian star Alex Ovechkin is starting to look like his all-world self again. Ovechkin scored three goals and two assists during the team’s last four games, including another highlight reel entry.
Both teams hope to regain their 09-10 momentum and improve their playoff chances with a win here today. Will the Capitals regenerate their mojo or will the Sabres get back on track at home? Tune into NBC to find out.
For another look at this game, check out the Associated Press preview.