By Chris Ryndak / Sabres.com
A busy day yesterday leads into a game night tonight. Evan Rodrigues and Scott Wilson are with the team, Kyle Criscuolo has been assigned to Rochester and Matt Moulson is on waivers.
The team is in Colorado for a game against the Avalanche tonight.
Get to know Scott Wilson
He’s someone Sabres general manager Jason Botterill is pretty familiar with.
Prior to being acquired by the Red Wings in a trade on Oct. 21, Wilson (25, 5-foot-11, 183 lbs.) played in parts of four seasons for the Pittsburgh Penguins. He totaled 26 points (8+18) in his first full NHL season in 2016-17 and appeared in 20 playoff games with the Penguins in 2017, helping the team to its second consecutive Stanley Cup.
Before joining Pittsburgh full-time for the 2016-17 season, Wilson appeared in 90 regular-season AHL games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The Oakville, Ontario native has totaled 77 points (41+36) in his AHL career and led the league in goals at the time of his last recall to Pittsburgh in February 2016.
The Sabres acquired him Monday afternoon from Detroit for a fifth-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.
“We are very happy to add Scott to our roster,” Botterill said. “Scott is a hard-working, young player that will be a great fit for our club. As a two-time Stanley Cup Champion, his experience will be an asset both on and off the ice.”
Tonight’s game
For whatever reason, the home team has had a distinct advantage in these Sabres-Avalanche matchups.
From @SabresPR’s Game Notes…
The home team has won the last five games between these teams. Neither team has won in the other’s arena since Colorado’s 5-1 win in Buffalo on Dec. 20, 2014.
The Sabres last won a game in Colorado on Dec. 4, 2005, having gone 0-4-2 in the six games since then.
Robin Lehner has started all four games against the Avalanche since he joined the Sabres, stopping 115 of 122 shots faced in those games (.943).
Jack Eichel (1+3), Ryan O’Reilly (0+4) and Sam Reinhart (3+1) each have four points in four career games against the Avalanche.
Benoit Pouliot has seven points (3+4) in his last eight games against Colorado, including a point in each of the last three (2+1).
Rasmus Ristolainen has four points (1+3) in his last five games against the Avalanche, including an assist in each meeting last season.
Evan Rodrigues had a point in both of his previous meetings with the Avalanche (1+1).