The Flyers take their show on the road tonight to tangle with the 9-2-1 Buffalo Sabres. Having grown up in Buffalo, I can assure everyone that the mood there surrounding an early-season game is nothing like the mood of a town two days removed from a World Series and two days before a huge rivalry football game. Nope, there’s not much to do in Buffalo other than play hockey, ski, drink Labatt Blue and watch the Sabres. A Friday night at HSBC Arena in Buffalo is an event, kind of like going to the prom all over again except there are way more Canadians with mullets.

The Buffalo News has a great piece today about the different styles played by the Flyers and the Sabres. The 12 regular forwards for the Sabres have recorded 73 points this season and the 12 Flyers forwards expected to dress tonight have 72. The major difference is that the Sabres’ lines have much more balanced scoring distribution. In Buffalo’s case, their top line has accounted for 37% of scoring. The next 3 lines have scored 31.5%, 17.8% and 13.7%. In the Flyers’ case, their top two lines of Richards-Hartnell-Giroux and Carter-van Riemsdyk-Laliberte have accounted for 44.4% and 41.7% of their 72 points. The checking and energy lines of Pyorala-Powe-Asham and Betts-Carcillo-Laperriere have accounted for only 9.7% and 4.2% of forwards’ scoring.

What does this mean? In the Sabres case, it means that Lindy Ruff has put together line combinations that stress constant pressure as he has less top-heavy scorers with which to up the goals production. With Thomas Vanek in one game and out the next with injury, Buffalo doesn’t have guys like Richards and Carter who will tally 40 goals in a season. In the Flyers case, it means they come at opponents with very different styles depending on which line is on the ice. They’re comprised more like an early 80’s team: big guns up front and two genuine grit and energy lines down low.

Another thing to watch for tonight is the goaltending matchup of Ray Emery and Ryan Miller. Miller has started 10 games and is 9-1 with a 1.7 GAA, a .941 save percentage and 2 shutouts. He ranks 1st in the NHL in save percentage, 2nd in goals against average, 1st in shootout save percentage, 1st in shutouts and 1st in winning percentage. As good as Miller has been, Ray Emery has consistently played well throughout this season and has under his belt one of the great multi-player goalie fights in NHL history against Buffalo. Expect Emery to be fired-up for the game as his days in Ottawa produced an intense dislike between himself and the Buffalo fans.

To close, a spot of Buffalo Sabres trivia. Who is the only player in NHL history to win a playoff series on an overtime, shorthanded goal? And what goalie yielded it? A hint? Both players will be playing in tonight’s game. For the answer click here.