Buffalo Sabres Preseason Fan Chatter: Sabres-Leafs, Part Deux

Will the Buffalo Sabres keep their impressive streak of one-goal games alive tonight?

The Buffalo Sabres may be 2-1 in preseason play so far, but it’s a simple fact: this team could easily be 3-0.

For whatever reason, the Sabres are making a living by treating their fans to one-goal hockey games, a nerve-wracking trend that carries over from last season. Will it continue tonight when the Sabres host last night’s victims, the Toronto Maple Leafs, in the KeyBank Center?

Gosh, I sure hope so!

Here’s the projected lineup for your Buffalo Sabres:

44 Nicolas Deslauriers – 23 Sam Reinhart – 73 Nicholas Baptiste
56 Justin Bailey – 27 Derek Grant – 12 Brian Gionta
26 Matt Moulson – 28 Zemgus Girgensons – 63 Tyler Ennis
71 Evan Rodrigues – 72 Jean Dupuy – 10 Cole Schneider

Defense: 77 Dmitry Kulikov, 34 Casey Nelson, 29 Jake McCabe, 81 Mac Bennett, 67 Brady Austin, 41 Justin Falk

40 Robin Lehner
33 Jason Kasdorf

Power play
First Unit: Reinhart, Gionta, Moulson, Ennis, Nelson
Second Unit: Baptiste, Girgensons, Kulikov, McCabe, Schneider

Time for the picks!

1. Of the three forwards vying for a spot on the roster – Nicholas Baptiste, Justin Bailey and Derek Grant – which player has the better +/- tonight? (5 pts.)

2. Out of Baptiste, Bailey and Grant, which player(s) get points tonight? You don’t have to predict how many points; just predict which of them actually nets points. Your answer has to be perfect – if you say Baptiste and Bailey, you only get your points if both of them score! (10 pts.) You still get points if a player you did not name scores, as long as the player(s) you name does, too!

3. That last one was complicated, so here: who wins tonight’s game? (7 pts.)

4. What will be the combined final score of the game? (10 pts.)

5. And let’s finish with a Yes or No question: does the game go into overtime? (7 pts.)

Tell your neighbors, tell your friends – the more people, the more fun we have in the Fan Chatter! Here’s hoping the Buffalo Sabres push their preseason record to 3-!