Many Eyes In the Sky In Buffalo (sabres third jersey)

Updated:

Its 1-1 after 40 minutes here in Buffalo.

Cody Hodgson scores this beauty after Drew Stafford strip searched Darren Helm just inside the Detroit blue line.

Thanks, Sabres.com

Sabres captain Steve Ott was denied on a penalty shot opportunity midway through the second period.

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There are scouts from 13 different teams in the press box tonight.

St. Louis, Los Angeles, Winnipeg, Boston, Columbus, Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton, Chicago, Colorado, Philadelphia, and Detroit are represented.

I'm guessing that the Blues and Kings are keeping tabs on Ryan Miller.

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Team Finland's U-20 head coach Karri Kivi is also taking in the game. He watched Joel Armia and Rasmus Ristolainen play in Rochester this weekend.

Team Russia's Nicolai Borochevsky is also watching tonight's game. Presumable, he's taking notes on Mikhail Grigorenko for Russia's IIHF World Junior Championships team.

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Look at the stars, look how they shine for you, and all the things you do. They were all yellow....

Count me in the minority of people of actually like and appreciate the new Sabres third jersey.The Sabres will bust it out for the first time this afternoon vs. Detroit.

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As I told you at 1am Sunday morning, the Detroit Red Wings will not allow Pavel Datsyuk to play this afternoon is Buffalo.

Suspected "c-word" as the result of this cowardly and disrespectful elbow to the face by Ottawa D Jared Cowen.

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Daniel Alfredsson will draw back into the Wings lineup after missing several games with a groin strain.

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U.S. Thanksgiving dinner will be served later this week.

Pass the Ryan Miller news, please.

I spoke with an NHL source on Saturday who tells me that the NY Islanders and LA Kings are seriously zeroing in on Ryan Miller. The Colorado Avalanche Nashville Predators and are also keeping an eye on Miller.

The Isles are a mess right now. They can't keep the puck out of their net. Kevin Poulin is not an NHL starter and he's getting continually lit up like a Christmas tree. Evgeni Nabakov's 40 year old groins are a huge problem for Garth Snow and the Islanders right now. I'm told that the Sabres have inquired about Ryan Strome, the Islanders' top organizational prospect and a second rounder.

The Kings' have been riding their backup Ben Scrivens ever since Jon Quick injured himself in the shootout loss in Buffalo earlier this month. Scrivens started like a house on fire, winning his first three starts in relief of Scrivens, two of them by shutout. he was named NHL first star of the week for his yeoman's work. However, the Kings were shutout by the Avalanche on Saturday night and it appears as though the Kings will be looking to upgrade their net in the event that Scrivens comes back down to earth in the next month. Kings GM Dean Lombardi said earlier this week that Quick will be lost to the Kings for another month, or more. Scrivens is a solid short-term solution, however, he may falter and cave to the pressure of having to win games.

The Sabres would love to get their hands on former Ottawa 67s scoring star Tyler Toffoli and a Kings second rounder.

Semyon Varlamov will be going to court on December 2 to answer to the charges that have been brought against him. The Avs are said to be concerned with their goaltending situation.

The Avs would have to send a first rounder and roster player to Buffalo in exchange for Miller.

Preds GM David Poile has had conversations with the Sabres about the his AGM Paul Fenton being considered for Darcy's Regier's old job as Buffalo GM. Poile's goatending woes have been tempered this week by a couple of wins by rookie Marek Mazanec (3-3). Mazanec played well but was shutout 2-0 by Cam Talbot and the Rangers on Saturday night. Preds rookie Carter Hutton has been a mess in his first few NHL starts. Poile's concerned about his team sitting still or slipping in the Western Conference standings. The preds are doing the doggy-paddle right now at a feverish pace until their starter Pekka Rinne recovers 100% from his E. Coli infection in his surgically repaired hip. Rinne will have an MRI at the end of this month to determine the status of his injury. If he hasn't made progress, then Pole will have to make a move.

The Sabres need scoring and Craig Smith may be the man on their hit list. Smith is a 200 foot center who can play in the top 6. He defends and creates. Smith and a first rounder could get a Miller deal done in Smashville.

Miller is in the final season of his $6.25 million contract. Miller is owed less than $5 million on his deal right now. If the Sabres were to absorb 20%-25% of Miller's cap hit this season, they will find a new home for their UFA to be, sonner rather than later.

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