By Jourdon LaBarber – Sabres.com (@JourdonLaBarber)
NEW YORK – After a successful morning skate at Madison Square Garden, it’s all systems go for Zemgus Girgensons. The forward will return from a four-game absence against the New York Rangers on Monday night as the Buffalo Sabres look to snap a two-game losing streak.
Girgensons will play on a line with Jack Eichel and Matt Moulson. While Girgensons and Eichel had become a consistent pair leading up to the former’s injury against Boston on Jan. 15, it’s been a while since they had Moulson on their other wing.
“We played one preseason game together, that was the last time I think we played all three together,” Girgensons said. “I can bring that hard work, create space for those guys, Moulson is great with the puck around the net and Eich is a guy that makes it all happen so I look forward to tonight.”
Girgensons’ description of how he expects the line to operate on Monday night actually calls to mind a particular play from that preseason game – the Sabres’ first of the year – in Minnesota on Sept. 21, when the three forwards connected for a goal in the third period.
It was Girgensons who did the dirty work along the wall to get the play started that night. He then moved the puck to Eichel, who put a shot on net where Moulson was waiting to do what he does best – get his stick on the puck and score on the re-direct.
Doing that has been tougher for Moulson as of late. He hasn’t scored since Nov. 1. But whether it’s in the dressing room or at home, Eichel said, just seeing the way Moulson has handled his slump has been a learning experience.
“I don’t know how many guys go through kind of a tough stretch like this and work the way he does,” Eichel said. “He brings a good attitude to the rink, brings a good attitude to the locker room. For me living with him, he never really brings the fact that’s he’s in this little bit of a drought home. You would never know.
“Just the way that he handles it, you can learn a lot. He’s definitely a professional. I’m sure he’s going to break through, hopefully tonight. It’d be nice.”
Eichel said he would do anything to help make that happen – even take a slap shot off of Moulson’s backside, if he has to.
“[Moulson] has played with Jack earlier in the year and I think offered some support to Jack,” Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said. “I think now it’s time for maybe Jack to be there for Matt and a guy who they’re obviously very familiar with and one that he spent a lot of time with. It may be time for Jack to pull Matt out of a long drought.”
BACK-TO-BACK BEFORE THE BREAK
Buffalo’s game on Monday marks the first of a back-to-back set, which concludes in Ottawa on Tuesday night in the team’s finale before they depart for the All-Star break. New York, on the other hand, lost 3-0 in Ottawa on Sunday to begin a back-to-back set of their own.
Rangers coach Alain Vigneault voiced his disappointment with his team after that game, and Bylsma said that it’s important for the Sabres to be ready for the players’ response on Monday.
“It’s kind of one of those response games form a team that maybe didn’t play as well as they like last game,” Bylsma said. “They are feeling that a little bit, that they are going to come out with a response to that criticism, to the way they played. I think they’re playing back-to-back games as well, we have to make that a factor in the game with how we play.”
PROJECTED LINEUP
Defenseman Josh Gorges (upper-body) was not at the morning skate on Monday and will miss his second game in a row. Bylsma did not announce which forward will be scratched to make room for Girgensons in the lineup, although he did confirm that Cal O’Reilly will play.
Chad Johnson will make his first start in net since allowing one goal on 27 shots in a 2-1 win in Arizona on Jan. 18.
9 Evander Kane – 90 Ryan O’Reilly – 88 Jamie McGinn
82 Marcus Foligno – 22 Johan Larsson – 12 Brian Gionta
26 Matt Moulson – 15 Jack Eichel – 28 Zemgus Girgensons
19 Cal O’Reilly – 59 Tim Schaller/84 Philip Varone – 17 David Legwand
47 Zach Bogosian – 55 Rasmus Ristolainen
29 Jake McCabe – 46 Cody Franson
6 Mike Weber – 3 Mark Pysyk
31 Chad Johnson
40 Robin Lehner
