Sabres 5 – Flyers 3 (en) Buffalo’s newest GM begins his tenure with a victory and inherits a four-game winning streak, (D) Dahlin earned his 23rd assist of the season last night giving him 300 for his career becoming the ninth Sabres player to achieve this milestone, (C) Thompson scored again with his fifth goal in five games.
On the power play (C) Norris scores with a strong assist from (LW) Benson
(LW) Benson and (D) Samuelsson each contributed two assists, and head coach Ruff earned his 915th win making him the fourth winningest head coach in NHL history.
Buffalo (D) Samuelsson unselfishly passes to (C) McLeod for the Happy Net Goal
Notable injuries last night to (D) Timmins who broke his leg and will be out nearly two months, and an undisclosed upper body injury to (C) Kozak with no updates.
The Buffalo Sabres will host the New York Islanders this Saturday early evening beginning at 5 pm EST before embarking on a two-game road trip.
Here along the Lake The Sabres Owner & President Mr. Pegula brought in our new General Manager last May hiring Jarmo Kekalainen as a “senior advisor”, GM Kekalainen has solid NHL experience and success that hopefully can translate to playoff participation for the Sabres.
Newly hired General Managers build their own staff and GM Kekalainen could bring in a new head coach or promote Assistant Head Coach Appert which could generate the productive results this team and their fans have been anticipating for over the last decade and a half.
The Sabres realistically still have a few solid months of regular season action to take our 500% overall record and create enough positive play to elevate Buffalo to a playoff wild card seeding, I am positively looking forward to seeing the Buffalo Sabres skate towards playoff success this season.
Sabres 3 – Kraken 1 (en) The Buffalo Sabres ended their six-game road trip at 3-3 after winning the previous three games giving Buffalo a 14-14-4 regular season record, considering all 10 teams vying for a wild card in the Eastern Conference are between 32 and 38 points, the Sabres can realistically earn a playoff seeding by building on their current 3-game winning streak.
(C) Thompson scores aided by a sweet pass from (C) Krebs for the 2-0 lead
Hockey players get hit and crash into the dasherboards, it is part of the game, but when an opponent maliciously trips and causes a player to crash into the dasherboards, well that is a different story all together.
The pass was already launched as the Seattle defender places his stick blade between the skates of the Sabres playeras the official observes the play
Last night, Seattle (D) Evans in front of an official dangerously “can-opener” tripped (C) Norris after he had passed the puck to (C) Ostlund who scored giving the Sabres the 1-0 lead in the first period, the unnecessary trip caused the Sabres center to fall and uncontrollably crash into the dasherboards.
Under review one can clearly determine stick blade placementand possible intent
Of course, the Seattle announcers would only say the Buffalo player lost control, and I do not blame any Sabres on the ice for not addressing the Seattle player but in real time it did appear (C) Norris did indeed just “lose control”, but after further review one can clearly discern the Seattle defenseman using the nasty “can-opener” trip.
Here the Seattle defender has his stick between the legs of the Sabres player causing the fall
But we are hockey players and fans that go by, “no-harm no-foul”, so Seattle has to travel to Buffalo next year March 28th for a Saturday late afternoon game beginning at 5:30 pm EST for the second game of their two-game regular season series, and (D) Evans should have to attend a disciplinary hearing from the NHL’s player safety department.
An ugly sight, thankfully (C) Norris was not injured
Buffalo has three days for travel and rest before two home games this Thursday night at 7:30 pm EST versus Philadelphia and Saturday’s afternoon 5 pm EST start when the Sabres host the Islanders.
Sabres 3 – Canucks 2 Buffalo wins its second consecutive road contest during the 139th meeting between these two historic clubs (60-60-19).
70s sweater & poster
Solid goaltending and timely scoring led the Sabres to victory over the Canucks as Vancouver belted Buffalo’s (G) Lyon with 12 shots and slowed the Sabres to just two SOG during the third period as Vancouver down by one goal with the extra attacker endeavored unsuccessfully to tie the game.
Sabres (G) Lyon was nearly unbeatable
The Sabres can even up their six-game road trip at three apiece if they can defeat the Kraken this coming Sunday night at 8 pm EST.
Miss Oilers fan is none too happy with the two-fisted drinking Sabres fan
Sabres 4 – Oilers 3 (OT) Buffalo is one of the premier PK teams in the NHL and they proved it again last night stopping all four Edmonton power plays, the Sabres took a commanding 3-0 lead after two periods of play on the strength of two power play goals from (RW) Doan.
Buffalo thought they scored their second of the game in the first period when (C) Thompson batted one in but an Edmonton coach’s challenge for a hand pass negated the score, however 90 seconds later in front of the Oilers goaltender (C) Thompson let rip a greasy snapper to regain the 2-0 first period lead.
(C) Thompson scores Buffalo’s second goal (again)
Buffalo had to switch goalies as rookie (G) Ellis after stopping the first six Oilers SOG was taken out of the game during the first period for concussion protocol, backup (G) Lyon came in and stymied Edmonton’s next 12 SOG in the game.
When Sabres (RW) Doan scored his second goal of the night on the power play he did so with a highlight reel goal as he took the puck with his stick backwards, between the legs to then shoot the puck glove side to smoke the Edmonton netminder for the 3-0 lead heading into the third period.
(RW) Doan wowing fans with an exciting trick shot goal
The Oilers came out fast and furious in the beginning of the third period scoring 10 seconds into the period because of an alleged non-called icing as an Edmonton defenseman shot the puck into the Sabres zone from behind the red line, nevertheless the Oilers get on the board, and the period starts 3-1 and Buffalo still looks in control.
Edmonton scored their second goal before the third period was two minutes old and all of sudden the game is 3-2 still in favor of Buffalo, but the Oilers look like they are going to tie the game which they eventually did with less than two seconds remaining in the game, their goaltender pulled and the extra attacker off to the side of a congested Sabres net, Edmonton forced overtime.
There are literally 10 players in front of the Sabres net
It is always good to end overtime quickly, and that is just what the Sabres did by scoring the game winning goal 33 seconds into overtime as (C) McLeod along the dasherboard outplays two Oilers to make a great pass to a wide open (RW) Tuch whose quick shot went five-hole pretty as you please providing Buffalo with a 4-3 win and its third road victory.
(RW) Tuch winning the game in overtime
Up next is the Vancouver Canucks this Thursday night 10 pm EST.
Buffalo Winter 