Sabres 1 – Jets 4 Buffalo beat Winnipeg at home three days ago and the Jets returned the favor and beat the Sabres in their barn last night.
Goaltending remains an issue with the Sabres rotating three players, two inconsistent goaltenders and one rookie netminder while our number one future star in net remains sitting on the nest in Rochester.
Sabres (LW) Zucker ties the game scoring on the power play
Buffalo remains one of the premier penalty killing teams in the NHL with an 87.2% PK percentage, and last night the Sabres special teams scored on the power play thanks to a Jonathan Toews tripping penalty then stymied the Jets on Winnipeg’s power play.
The Sabres have two days to ready themselves in Alberta for back-to-back games versus the Flames then Oilers this coming Monday and Tuesday nights.
Sabres 2 – Flyers 5 Buffalo took a 1-0 lead on the power play and while on their next power play began earning penalties including a coach’s challenge that did not go Buffalo’s way, the Sabres killed off 43 seconds of a 3 on 5 then were scored upon when it was 4 on 5, then the Flyers scored shortly after that and took a commanding 3-1 lead in the first period.
(LW) Zucker blasts one in on the power play for the 1-0 lead
Buffalo even had one goal disallowed during the third period because of a successful coach’s challenge from Philadelphia, a disappointing start to a six-game road trip but the Sabres can even things up this Friday night as they look to win against Winnipeg once more.
Sabres 5 – Jets 1 It did not take Buffalo long to take control of this game as they scored twice in 15 seconds on their first two SOG during the first three minutes of the first period for a quick 2-0 lead with Sabres returning (C) Norris assisting on the first goal.
Sabres (LW) Zucker on the power play assisted by (RW) Doan and (C) Norris
Buffalo’s special teams excelled with a goal on the power play and killing off Winnipeg’s man advantages, (G) Luukkonen played exceptionally well in net for the Sabres, Buffalo finished off a perfect first period scoring three times on 14 shots chasing Winnipeg’s starting goaltender.
Buffalo’s (D) Byram scores the second goal
Even when the Jets were able to score during the second period the Sabres came right back 83 seconds later and scored again as (RW) Tuch took a difficult angled shot that bounced off of Winnipeg’s rookie backup (G) Milic that gave Buffalo its three-goal lead back.
Sabres (RW) Tuch scores from a tough angle
Excitement started early in the third period as (C) Norris scored his second goal of the evening just 41 seconds into the period, only a minute or so later 6′ 7″ defenseman for the Jets elbowed 5′ 10″ (LW) Benson’s head into the glass for a penalty that was addressed later in the period as there was roughing and three 10 minute misconducts handed out with six minutes remaining in the game.
Buffalo & Winnipeg have an opportunity to do this again in three days
Buffalo wins convincingly at home and now begins a six-game road trip Wednesday night and then to Winnipeg Friday night for the rematch.
Here along the Lake I was behind last week’s opponent until Saturday night when I was able to pull ahead and ended up with the higher score by the completion of Sunday night’s games.
Still maintaining the League lead, this week I am matched with Magnificent Mike’s Team the only loss I have absorbed this season was in the initial weekly matchup to this opponent.
I was the only team manager thus far to utilize the waiver wire today, so I had to make some adjustments to ensure I have a near equal number of players for tonight’s games.
The two players I dropped are now underachieving, not to say I will not endeavor to bring them back onto my roster, (LW) Barbashev is doing well enough, but I would rather have (RW) Stone who seems to be trending upwards since his return, and adding (D) Gudas and dropping (C) Cirelli (whom I like) seems prudent for tonight’s games.
Remember, no matter how brilliant of a team manager and strategist you are, if the actual NHL players do not perform…you don’t win.
Sabres 3 – Wild 2 (SO) The Wild wore their North Stars tribute uniforms and ironically, the Sabres did not score a goal themselves until the shootout, the first Sabres goal came from a rebound that deflected off a Minnesota player and into the net, the second Sabres goal credited to Buffalo was after a Minnesota player swatted the puck with his glove into his own net.
Closest Sabres player gets the credit
Buffalo remains the NHL elite penalty killers stopping the Wild on three attempts, and Sabres rookie (G) Ellis won his fourth game out of six starts assisted by his teammates allowing Minnesota with the 3rd Best record in the Western Conference just 3 SOG during the third period earning the Sabres a tie, then Buffalo scored three times in four shootout rounds for the win.
(C) Ostlund scores the shootout winner
The first Norwegian hockey player to participate in an NHL game happened once in 1958, recently Minnesota Wild’s (RW) Mats Zuccarello with his assist last night became the first player from Norway to earn 700 points in the NHL.
The Buffalo Sabres host the Winnipeg Jets this Monday night at 7:30 pm before embarking on a six-game road trip that begins in Philadelphia and ends in Seattle.
Buffalo Winter 