Flyers at Sabres
Terry Pegula took a George Steinbrenner approach in his first year as owner of the Buffalo Sabres. Pegula readily opened the vault to improve the club but he got little bang for his bucks as the Sabres finished one spot out of the postseason with a 39-32-11 mark. Determined to rectify what was perceived as the team's biggest weakness, Buffalo added some feistiness to the roster with the acquistion of center Steve Ott from Dallas and signing of rugged left wing John Scott. The Sabres will unveil their new-look lineup when they host the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday.
Philadelphia kicked off its season Saturday with a 3-1 home loss to bitter rival Pittsburgh. The Flyers had the look of a team that had only a week to prepare for the season, losing a pair of draws in their own end that led to a quick 2-0 deficit. Philadelphia also failed to capitalize with the man advantage, coming up empty on all five power-play opportunities. That same unit was lethal in eliminating Pittsburgh from the playoffs last season, converting on 12 of 23 chances.
TV: 12:30 ET, NBC, TSN
ABOUT THE FLYERS (0-1): One of the biggest concerns entering the season for Philadelphia was goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, who had an erratic 2011-12 campaign marked by stretches of brilliance and others of rather forgettable play. Bryzgalov wasn't at fault for either of the first two goals Saturday and he played well the rest of the way, making 24 saves. Claude Giroux delivered in his first game as team captain, scoring the only goal for the Flyers. He has 18 points in 15 career games against the Sabres.
ABOUT THE SABRES (39-32-11, 3rd Northeast Division): Questions also surround Buffalo netminder Ryan Miller, who must avoid a repeat of last season's slow start that was further complicated when he suffered a concussion. The Sabres would like to get more scoring from Thomas Vanek, who had 26 goals last season - his lowest total since his rookie campaign in 2005-06. With Jason Pominville coming off a 30-goal season, Buffalo needs to find another source of offense. The obvious candidate is former Flyer Ville Leino, who delivered only eight goals and 25 points after signing a six-year, $27 million contract. Hopes are also high for 18-year-old Russian rookie Mikhail Grigorenko, who may wind up back in the minors.
OVERTIME
1. Philadelphia won all four meetings last season and has won six straight dating to its playoff series win over the Sabres in 2011.
2. Leino is questionable for the game with a leg injury.
3. Flyers C and ex-Sabre Danny Briere will not get the chance to face his former teammates. He is sidelined with a wrist injury.