Sabres Islanders Preview

A Columbus day affair between the Sabres and Islanders, well this sure won't be well watched around the country. Buffalo fans will watch, since half the population works for the government and they don't have to work today. But really no team excites me less, then the Islanders. They should move the team and get it over with, or just dispand it, and spread the players around. The only way to get out from the terrible Dipietro contract. But this one is on the schedule and the Sabres hopefully don't take the day off.

Islanders

Well the Islanders are a weird mix of players, ancient relics like Bill Guerin and Doug Weight. A guy who could become a superstar in Kyle Okposo. Then a bunch of role players like Mike Comrie, Bruno Gervais and Andy Hilbert. You look at the lineup and no one scares you. Now with the recent Rick Dipietro news where he might have to get more surgery on his knee. Chris Campoli, Mike Sillinger and Andy Sutton are on the IR. And Radek Martinek is hurt. They are already banged up and key players are hurt. Leaving Joey McDonald to save the bacon. Which in two games he has. But New Jersey and St Louis aren't what we call offensive juggernauts.

This won't be a pushover, the Islanders I'm sure will come out and play hard. Have a goalie no one has a book on. And with the new coach, each player is trying to show he's the man. Its also hard to do in depth analysis of a team thats played two games against one thats only played one game.

The Sabres

Coming out of the Montreal game, the team has to be feeling good. Well except Tim Connolly who I have given up on, now. Come on a cracked vertebrae? Does he have the weakest skeletal system in the NHL? What a bunch of crap, to use a phrase my girlfriend uses. Lucky for the Sabres they have the Islanders who I wouldn't call high scoring, and I feel will open it up a tad more today, since they aren't playing a good offensive team. I know Roy wants to play around so does Max. This could be a high scoring affair, or the Sabres could play it close and get their defense down.

I personally don't know what the Sabres are anymore. The high flying team of the past seems dead to me, and are turning into a lockdown team, that will take advantage of turnovers and win games 2-1, 3-2. The days of 7-6 are over with and Lindy Ruff I think has the team where he wants it.

Outlook.

I think the Sabres will win, but its too early to tell who the 2008-09 Sabres really are. But its nice to have a little afternoon hockey.