Sabres at Canucks
THE STORY: After posting a shutout in each of his previous two games, Ryan Miller will face his toughest test when his Buffalo Sabres visit the league-leading Vancouver Canucks on Saturday. Miller followed an overtime loss to the New York Rangers in the opener of Buffalo's five-game road trip with back-to-back blankings of Anaheim and San Jose. It marked the first time Miller posted consecutive shutouts since Dec. 3-4, 2010. Vancouver, which is third in the league with 206 goals, has lost in regulation just once in its last 19 contests (13-1-5) and is 7-0-2 in its last nine at home.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, MSG (Buffalo), CBC (Vancouver)
ABOUT THE SABRES (29-27-8): Miller has been sensational since the All-Star break, going 9-2-3 with four shutouts and a 1.67 goals-against average in 15 games. The former Vezina Trophy winner went 12-15-2 with just one blanking prior to the break. Miller made a total of 82 saves in the shutouts against Anaheim and San Jose. Rookie Cody Hodgson has gone two games without a point since being acquired from Vancouver on Monday. Hodgson, who registered 16 goals and 33 points in 63 contests with the Canucks, was obtained along with defenseman Alexander Sulzer, who has yet to make his Sabres debut. Buffalo still has playoff aspirations as it trails Winnipeg by only four points for eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (41-16-8): Right wing Zack Kassian and defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani hope to be in the lineup against their former team. Kassian notched three goals and four assists in 27 games with Buffalo but has yet to get on the scoresheet in two contests with Vancouver. Gragnani, who has played in one game with the Canucks, collected 12 points in 44 matches with the Sabres. Roberto Luongo is coming off a 29-save shutout against St. Louis on Thursday. The veteran has won four straight home games, allowing a total of four goals.
OVERTIME:
1. Vancouver is 1-0-0 on its seven-game homestand and 3-0-2 over its last five overall.
2. The Sabres have won three of their last four meetings with the Canucks but are 0-5-1 in their last six visits to Vancouver.
3. The home team has won six straight and is 10-1-1 over the last 12 games in the all-time series.