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Sabres-Predators Preview

Oct 9, 2009 - 5:42 PM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Buffalo (1-0-1) at Nashville (2-0-0), 8:00 p.m. EDT

With J.P. Dumont possibly out for a second consecutive game, the Nashville Predators appear to have found a suitable replacement on their top line.

Patric Hornqvist looks to build on the best game of his career and help the Predators open with three straight victories for the first time in four years Saturday night against the Buffalo Sabres.

Nashville (2-0-0) is unsure of Dumont's status for this contest after he crashed headfirst into the boards in a season-opening 3-2 shootout victory at Dallas last Saturday. He is not showing any symptoms of a concussion, but the team doesn't want to rush one of its top offensive players back into the lineup.

Dumont played in 82 games in 2008-09, leading the Predators in assists (49) and points (65). He had a goal and an assist in a 2-0 win at Buffalo on Dec. 1, the teams' only meeting last season.

While replacing Dumont isn't easy, Hornqvist did an admirable job in Thursday's 3-2 win over Colorado.

Skating with Jason Arnott and Steve Sullivan on the first line, Hornqvist scored twice 2:17 apart in the third period to help the Predators rally from a goal down.

It was a career performance for Hornqvist, who matched the number of goals he had in 28 games as a rookie last season.

"He gets in those really what I call dirty, greasy areas," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said of Hornqvist. "You've got to want to be there. He's a guy who makes sure he's there when the puck's there. It's a skill. It's a great skill, and you see (Tomas) Holmstrom do it in Detroit all the time and how effective he is tonight. You saw how effective it was for us, and I thought Patric did a great job."

With Thursday's victory, the Predators have opened with back-to-back wins for the first time since 2007-08. They haven't started a season with three consecutive victories since opening with a franchise-best eight straight wins in 2005-06.

Goaltender Dan Ellis has been in net for the first two contests, stopping 60 of 64 shots. In his only career game against the Sabres on Feb. 27, 2008, Ellis stopped 11 of 14 shots in just over 25 minutes in an 8-4 loss.

Ellis could find himself under significant pressure in this game against a Buffalo team that is averaging 37.0 shots.

The Sabres (1-0-1) took 39 shots in Thursday's 2-1 win over Phoenix, and likely could have scored more had Coyotes goalie Jason LaBarbera not made several spectacular saves.

"We had chances but just couldn't get them," said Thomas Vanek, who snapped a third-period tie with a power-play goal with 3:53 remaining. "We stuck to our systems, stuck to our game and got rewarded in the end."

Vanek's goal was his first of the season after recording a team-high 40 in 2008-09. He has no goals and three assists in three career games against Nashville.

Ryan Miller made 25 saves in last season's loss to the Predators, and is 1-2-0 with a 3.18 goals-against average in three career starts against them. Miller, who has yet to play a game in Nashville, stopped 23 shots Thursday and has turned aside 38 of 41 shots while making both starts for the Sabres.