[blazinsabrez61]

if u want to see a big game, then prop yourself in front of a TV tonight and watch the sabres and devils tonight at 7 on MSG. new jersey found themselves victorious yesterday over the hungry islanders, closing the gap to 5 points. the good news, though, is that ottawa lost to the bruins (HA!! ) last night too, so they remain 5 points behind buffalo. this is easily going to be one of the most crucial games down this last stretch of games. a 4-point game will decide whether buffalo will continue to soar in the east or if new jersey will try to sneak up on them.
and tonights game will be interesting. buffalo has had a lot of trouble with new jersey this year, losing 3-2 twice and winning one against them. its not gonna b easy to score against a superstar goalie like brodeur, but as if it didnt come in a better time, the sabres will welcome back some key players to this team.
first of all, ales kotalik will make his return on home ice tonight after being sidelined for more than a month with a knee injury. he will still wear a knee brace for added support but has fully recovered. dan paille could be back tonight as well, after being out for about 5 weeks with a broken finger. if hes not on the ice tonight, then youll see him friday. defenseman toni lydman could get the green light tonight or friday, a crucial part of this sabres defense whos underrated. its encouraging to see the sabre finally recovering from their injury wounds, and thankfully, very few injuries have struck the sabres as of late.
as for the other injured players: afinogenov now looks to be back the first round of the playoffs (sorry aFANigenov). connolly might be back before the end of the regular season, but if not, then the beginning of the playoffs. and gaustad is staying hopeful for returning to the team in the late playoffs.
tonights score prediction: theres gonna b no blowout, so im predicting 4-3 sabres. goals will come from stafford, briere, vanek, and kotalik. miller will likely be minding the net tonight (tho i dont want him to ) but i think the offense of the sabres will overpower that of the devils. if it doesnt, then the sabres are gonna have to fight harder to keep their 1st place spot in the east, and we DONT want that to happen