Sabres Harpoon Kraken

Road Trip ends on a High Note

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 player** **as 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 placement** **and 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.