PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – So you think it will be easy for the Pens Thursday night in Buffalo. The records would say it will be. The Pens have nearly double the points (31 to 16). Sabres have lost 8 straight. Pens have won 7 of their last 10. Recent history would say to watch out.
Buffalo has won the season series each of the last two years with teams not much better than this group.
"There's a lot of good teams in this league," said Pens head coach Mike Sullivan. "Every team goes through certain points of the season where it's a struggle. Just because a team is going through a struggle doesn't mean that they don't have good and competitive players."
That would be fair and Jack Eichel is their best player. The elite forward is out for the two matchups Thursday and Saturday with an upper body injury. Sam Reinhart, 25, is a second overall pick in 2014 and leads Buffalo with 11 goals. Winger Victor Olofsson has 18 points. While not great numbers this season, 16 points, Taylor Hall is dangerous. Erik Staal is there. He has 55 points in 57 career games against the Pens.
"When you look at every team in the NHL," said Pens defenseman Kris Letang. "Even if they struggle, there are so many guys with speed and skill that hurt you. If you don't bring your A game. If you play sloppy. Any team in the NHL can hurt you."
"Even if right now their record indicates they aren't doing well. They are still going to play with good effort. Sometimes when you go out there with nothing to lose that's when you are the most dangerous. We can't go in there thinking about the record. We have to think about focusing on our game and playing the right way."
If you do get sloppy and penalty-happy against Buffalo, they can make you pay. Granted without Eichel, but overall they have the fifth best power play in the league and are 12th best killing penalties.
"We have to play with the mindset that we are playing any other team," said goalie Tristan Jarry. "We just have to go and play our game. Do what we do best. I think that's the best mindset to have. It will give us the best chance to win."
"We are playing in the best league in the world and on any given night any team can beat anybody," said Pens defenseman Mark Friedman. "It's two points on the board and right now we are fighting for a playoff spot and we got to stay above that line that divides fourth and fifth. It doesn't matter who we play. We have to show up with the right mindset and show up mentally and physically."
"We are trying to establish ourselves in the standings in terms of solidifying a playoff spot," Sullivan said. "So every game that we play, by nature of that, is important. That's how we are trying to look at it."
