Shovels Full of Hope

by Ryan

I love playing teams in the Western Conference, but with the way the schedule's been the past few seasons I feel like I just don't know a lot about some of these teams. Unfortunately, the Kings are one such team. The last time we played them it looked something like this, with an 8-2 final against a rookie goalie getting his first ever NHL start. Yeah, that was a heck of a road trip.

On the surface you could say things haven't changed much for either team. The Sabres are decidedly underachieving thus far, and the Kings are still mediocre and appearing to rebuild. Youth abound on both teams, and what looks like low expectations for two teams with legitimate potential.

Looking around the blogosphere is always a good way to get a feel for a team. Battle of California is your best bet for Kings info and they have a shiny new website thanks to SBNation, so I'd give them a look. If you didn't see how they put into perspective the Sabres' last meeting with L.A., I'd take a look.

The Sabres have a pretty terrible record at home, but according to Lindy it's because, well, I guess it's too hard to play at home or something. Hey, it's hard to question that logic. The good news is that the Kings have a pretty awful record on the road (3-6), so maybe those two will equal out and there won't be any excuses for tonight. Yeah, right.

Considering the weather and a Friday night Kings game that is way overpriced, the mood inside the arena will be a strange one. That may be just what this team needs. Then again, I have no idea what this team needs. Let's just see how Butler plays and if the Sabres can beat a decidedly average team at home. Seems reasonable.

7:30 tonight from a 70% full HSBC Arena. Hey, at least I didn't say it was 30% empty.