Game 22- Penguins @ Buffalo Sabres

The Penguins will make their first trip of the year to HSBC Arena in Buffalo on Friday night for a 7:38 tilt with the Sabres. The Pens, who have beaten Buffalo five times in a row, are coming off a thrilling 5-3 victory over the New York Islanders in which Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin worked magic to carry the Pens to victory on Wednesday. The Sabres won for the first time in six games of their own on Wednesday when they downed the upstart Boston Bruins 3-2 in western New York.

Rookie John Curry will make his first NHL start in the game. He replaced Dany Sabourin midway through on Wednesday, and he was a bit shaky at first, but didn't give up any goals. It will be interesting to see how he responds.

Ryan Miller will get the start for the Sabres, most likely.

Max Talbot will play despite a minor injury suffered on Wednesday when Radek Martinek clanked a slapper off the inside of Talbot's foot. Janne Pesonen, who was recalled from Wilkes Barre, presumably to replace Max, will be in the lineup anyway. Odds are Eric Godard will be scratched for the first time.

Hal Gill pretty much sucked on Wednesday, so it's not an unreasonable expectation that he'll be in the press box for this one with Mark Eaton taking his spot. The only thing that may keep this from happening is that Gill is serving as an assistant captain for the month of November.

For Buffalo, their primary offensive threat is the skilled dangler, Thomas Vanek. Center Derek Roy has been coming alive a bit lately, and winger Jason Pominville is always a threat.

Playmaker Tim Connolly is on injured reserve for the Sabres along with winger Ales Kotalik.

Penguins-

Talbot-Crosby-Satan
Pesonen-Malkin-Sykora
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Fedotenko-Zigomanis-Dupuis

Orpik-Letang
Goligoski-Boucher
Scuderi-Eaton

Curry

Sabres-

Vanek-Roy-Stafford
Gaustad-Hecht-Pominville
Afinogenov-MacArthur-Mancari
Peters-Mair-Kaleta

Tallinder-Rivet
Spacek-Sekera
Lydman-Numminen

Miller

GO PENS!