After a rough 2-12-2 start to the regular season, the Sabres begin the month of November by hosting the Anaheim Ducks. The teams have not met since Feb 29th, 2012, when Ryan Miller earned a 43-save shutout.
This will be the first of two meetings between the teams this season, and both will come within the next week.
The Sabres have struggled to score, the main reason why they have only been able to win two games.
“I understand we’ve got younger guys but you have to have a certain control of the game where you have to play together and work hard for each other and get out of situations,” Miller said. “It’s up to us to dig out of this and have the right attitude and right approach. It’s been a lot of games searching, trying to figure it out. Enough is enough.”
Miller has been playing well, but he is getting hung out to try on almost every night. His 1-10 record is not indicative of how he has been playing, but it’s clear that the Sabres goaltender is frustrated with the team in front of him, as he should be.
The Sabres have led for a grand total of 18:16 this season, not even a full period of hockey. They’ve trailed for 563:54 and have been tied for 319:40.
The Ducks are in the midst of a eight game road trip, and have posted a 3-2-1 record in the first six games of it. They are 10-3-1 overall and have been led by stellar goaltending from Jonas Hiller.
Coming into tonight’s game, it’s not an even matchup on paper, and the entire month of November is no easy task for the Sabres.
After tonight’s game, Buffalo will head west for a three game road trip, visiting the Sharks, Kings and the Ducks again.