The Sabres have started the West Coast trip with a pair of shutouts, but now have the tough task of facing the best team in the National Hockey League.
Buffalo come onto this game with nine of the past 10 points, but the Canucks have gone 7-1-2 in their past 10 games.
Tonight will be the only meeting of the season between these two teams. Buffalo won the lone meeting last season by a 4-3 score.
“It’s an important time of year for us, and I’m just happy to be there for the guys,” Miller said. “They’re battling hard right there with me, and it was a night where I could minimize mistakes and get some help around me. It’s fun to get shutouts, but when we’re in a 1-0 game and we really need the points, it should mean a lot to the whole team.”
Ryan Miller’s shutout streak is at 134 minutes and 28 seconds coming into tonight’s game.
“In 15 games since the break, he’s 9-2-3 with a 1.67 goals-against average, .945 save percentage and four shutouts. In 30 games prior to the break, he was 12-15-2 with a 3.07 GAA, .899 save percentage and one shutout.”
With Washington’s loss to New Jersey on Friday, the Sabres come into tonight’s game four points behind 8th placed Winnipeg.
A win tonight could pull the Sabres within two up the Jets with a meeting against them on Monday night.
Cody Hodgson and Christian Ehrhoff will be facing their former team for the first time. On the other side, Zack Kassian and Marc-Andre Gragnani will play a Buffalo team that they were a part of a week ago.
Tonight’s game is scheduled for 10 p.m. EST.