Month: October 2024

Buffalo Beats Detroit

Sabres edge out Red Wings

Sabres 5 (en) – Red Wings 3  Buffalo earns their first power play score when Mr. Thompson broke the NHL EDGE Puck & Player Tracking Statistics hardest shot with a 104.69 mph shot that created the scoring rebound.

HC Ruff has his team playing well, in the first period the Sabres literally moved as a five man unit up and down the ice creating a 19 SOG 5 disparity with Buffalo scoring twice.

In the third period during Detroit’s 6 on 5, UPL at the top of the blue ice forced Red Wings legend Patrick Kane to make a play instead of shooting and when Mr. Kane did manage to get a shot off it harmlessly bounced off the nearest side post.

To finish out October’s schedule tomorrow the Sabres host the Panthers for the second time this month, Florida was October’s first victory, now Buffalo has the opportunity to ruin Florida’s visit here along the Lake making them the last win this month while earning a winning record for October.

Sabres Subdue Stars

A near perfect home game for Buffalo

Sabres 4 (en) – Stars 2 (pulled goaltender for each goal)  Dallas sauntered into Buffalo with a 5-1 record and left with another road loss.

Buffalo killed three Dallas power plays and blocked nearly double the amount of shots that the Stars blocked, and although Dallas won most of the faceoffs Mr. Krebs was 6 of 7 for the Sabres and scored a beautiful wait and whack shot behind the Dallas goaltender.

Buffalo recently acquired from Edmonton for Matt Savoie left shooting 6’ 3” Center Ryan McLeod who has scored each of the last four games, defenseman Owen Power notched three assists, and Thompson & Tuch continue to produce points while UPL posted an excellent .933% save percentage.

Two more games left in October and both are at home with Saturday afternoon’s contest versus Detroit that will be the first appearance of Buffalo’s brawny black & red sweater, and Monday night’s matchup will be the second home game against the Panthers this month.

Another fun game to have watched

Unless you are a New Jersey fan that is as Tamp Bay on the road crushed the Devils 8-5 and after being outshot 15-13 in the second period the Lightning outscored New Jersey 5-1 for a 6-2 game heading into the third period.

Goaltender Allen was not pulled by new HC Keefe after the second period and the netminder’s save percentage dropped to .784% after allowing eight goals, one (SHG) while he was skating way outside his crease creating in essence an empty net goal.

The O’Brien Cup

1910 Trophy Highlights Canadian Hockey Excellence

Here along the Lake – Nearly as historically important to men’s professional ice hockey as the Stanley Cup is the O’Brien Cup trophy which was donated 18 seasons after Lord Stanley’s donation and has served both the NHA and the NHL as their League Championship trophy.

Canadian Senator Michael John O’Brien and his son John Ambrose O’Brien are mostly responsible for the creation of the NHA and the Montreal Canadiens, financing other teams as well, Michael donated the O’Brien Cup in 1910 to represent the NHA League Champion. (Both O’Brien men after 1912 never owned a team again)

Once the NHA team owners decided to side-step one of their cantankerous team owners and create the NHL in 1917 the O’Brien Cup was awarded to the NHL regular season Champions but a few seasons later the trophy was retired in 1924.

Then in 1928 the O’Brien Cup was brought back into duty as the NHL had two divisions Canadian and American, so the Canadian Division winner was awarded the O’Brien Cup but only for a decade.

In 1939 the O’Brien Cup was designated as the NHL’s trophy for the runner-up to the regular season championship, and then after another decade of service the NHL once again retired the O’Brien Cup in 1950.

During this 115th year of the O’Brien Cup trophy Buffalo Winter will unofficially reinstate the trophy to be awarded to the Canadian NHL hockey team that wins the most games during the regular season.