Sabres looking for first home win

The Fort Frances Jr. Sabres will be missing two of their best offensive weapons tonight when they host the Dryden Ice Dogs at 7:30 p.m. at the Ice for Kids Arena.
The Sabres will be without forwards Mitch Cain and Carson Dubchak, who are trying out for Team West, which will compete at the World Junior ‘A’ Challenge next month in Camrose, Alta.

The event features two Canadian teams (selected from junior ‘A’ leagues across Canada) against squads from the U.S., Russia, Belarus, and Germany.
Team West has won both times since it was inaugurated.
The Sabres (1-4), coming off their first win of the season in an 11-0 romp over the expansion Sioux Lookout Flyers last Wednesday night, will be looking to record their first victory on home ice after dropping their first four games here, including a 2-1 loss to Dryden back on Sept. 23.
The Ice Dogs (2-4), meanwhile, are reeling, having dropped back-to-back home games to the Schreiber Diesels on Friday and Saturday.
In Friday night’s game, Dryden held a 2-1 lead midway through the third period but let it slip away as the Diesels scored twice in under two minutes to eke out a win.
The Diesels then rode that momentum into Saturday’s game, building up a 5-0 lead before coasting to victory.
“In the game we played against them [the 2-1 loss Sept. 23], I thought we out-played them,” Sabres’ coach Wayne Strachan said, referring to the Ice Dogs.
“I went and watched them on the weekend against Schreiber,” Strachan added. “They are a fairly big team that works hard, but even with the loss of Dubchak and Cain, I think we match up good, and have more skill and speed in our lineup.
“I think if we work hard and put 60 minutes together, we’ll give ourselves a good chance.”
Dan Smith will move up to the top line alongside Brendan Baumgartner and Chris Sinclair tonight.
“We kind of just moved Smith off of that line at the start of the year just to send him a message and he’s responded well, and deserves to be back up there,” Strachan noted.
“Even when the other guys come back, you might see him stay there, and maybe move Baumgartner back with Cain, but we’ll see how it goes for now.”
Kyle Turgeon also returns from a shoulder injury that has sidelined him since the pre-season, and is expected to fill a two-way role alongside Chad Reynolds and Ryan Witherspoon.
Gabe Capozzi, Graham Dyck, and Dan Usiski are expected to form another line while enforcer Logan McDonell will be flanked by affiliated players Adam Wensley and Zach McCool on the fourth unit.