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Game Day #7: Kings-Sabres

Time: 7.30 PM

TV: Fox Sports West

Kings projected lineup:

King - Kopitar - Brown

Pearson - Carter - Toffoli

Andreoff - Stoll - Williams

Clifford - Richards - Nolan

Doughty - Muzzin

Regehr - Martinez

McNabb - Greene

Quick

Injured: Gaborik (??), Lewis ("upper-middle body"); Suspended: Voynov

Sabres projected lineup:

Moulson - Ennis - Gionta
Foligno - Girgensons - Stewart
Mitchell - Hodgson - Stafford
Deslauriers - McCormick

Gorges - Myers
Weber - Meszaros
Benoit - Ristolainen

Zadorov

Enroth

Injured: Kaleta (face, apparently??); Larsson (concussion); Hackett (knee)

Enemy reading: Die By the Blade

Game notes:

The Sabres are rolling into Staples tonight with Jordan Nolan's dad, seven defencemen (including former Kings prospect Nic Deslauriers), and eleven forwards (not including rookie Sam Reinhart). Deslauriers, you will recall, was sent to Buffalo as part of the Brayden McNabb trade, while Reinhart has used up six games of his nine-game NHL tryout. Reports say that the plan is to keep Reinhart up until injured fourth-liner Patrick Kaleta is in game shape again.
The Sabres have somehow won a game, but they remain cringe-inducingly terrible in their march towards Connor McDavid.
Although the personnel available hasn't changed, Coach Sutter has adjusted the forward lines since the Kings' last game, many moons ago. Notably, the King to Kopitar experiment is back on, and we all feel bad for Justin Williams. I thought Richards wasn't terrible during his stint on the top line, but apparently that is where Darryl Sutter and I disagree.
Jake Muzzin returns conveniently tonight from injury. I suppose playing the Sabres could be considered easing somebody back into full-time duty.
Prediction: a hockey game probably happens, but Sabres.