2. UP & DOWN & CLOSE
After earning 10 consecutive wins from Nov. 8-27, the Sabres are now in the midst of a four-game winless skid, going 0-2-2, all of which have been decided by one goal... Dating all the way back to the 10-game streak, 13 of their last 14 games have been one-goal games, including nine games that have been decided past regulation... The Sabres are T-2nd among all NHL teams in one-goal games (16), with a 10-2-4 record, and are T-1st (DET) in games going past regulation (11).
3. NOT SO LONG AGO
It's the second of three meetings against the Sabres and final game in Buffalo, where the Flyers have dropped four of their last five, including a 5-2 loss on Nov. 21... Since that date though, the Flyers have not allowed a goal on the penalty kill, going 12-for-12 over their last five games... The Sabres on the other hand have struggled on their power-play as of late, going just 1-for-13 on the man advantage in their last five games... The Sabres own the NHL's best home winning percentage at 9-2-2 (.769) and have earned a point in each of their last nine home games, going 7-0-2, with with last regulation loss at home coming on Oct. 11 vs. Colorado.
4. FIRST ROUND FEELING
Today's game will feature 21 players selected in the first round of the NHL Draft, including 14 players drafted in the Top 10... The Sabres have 12 first round picks in the lineup, with eight in the Top 10, including No. 1 overall pick last summer - D Rasmus Dahlin... The Flyers have nine first round picks in the lineup, with six in the Top 10... Today's game will also feature four No. 2 overall draft picks - two on each side... For the Sabres, captain Jack Eichel (2015) and Sam Reinhart (2014), who was drafted in Philadelphia, while the Flyers have James van Riemsdyk (2007) and Nolan Patrick (2017) taken at 2nd overall.
5. PLAYERS TO WATCH:
FLYERS (LW: #28 - Claude Giroux)
Giroux has goals in back-to-back games and is riding a three-game point streak with four points (2g-2a)... He has also recorded goals in three of his last four games on the road to go along with five points (4g-1a) in those four road contests, including a goal against the Sabres on Nov. 21... He has points in six of his last seven against the Sabres (2g-5a), including a four-game point streak playing in Buffalo.
SABRES (C: #9 - Jack Eichel)
Eichel leads the team in overall scoring with 34 points and T-5th in the NHL with 27 assists... He is coming off a two-goal game against Toronto and has points in nine of his last 11 games, recording 15 points (3g-12a) and six multi-point games in that span... Eichel had an assist in the first meeting of the season, which gives him six points in his last four games (1g-5a) and has five goals and eight points in nine games against the Flyers in his young career.
