It has been a highly contested regular fantasy hockey season in our league with five teams competing all year to earn one of four available playoff seedings with Buffalo Winter clinching the No. 1 seed.
Opening Round
As in the NHL so goes the FHL, similarly the playoffs are a whole new season with each team entered having the ability to win, advance and earn the championship.
Tonight’s lineup
Buffalo is in Beantown tonight to play spoiler to the Bruins where no doubt most every Boston Irish hockey fan will be in attendance, watching, or listening to this St. Patrick’s Day divisional matchup because the Bruins are literally in a seven-team struggle for the two Eastern Conference wild card seedings.
Center Zucker expressing how we all feel about beating Nevada
Sabres 4 – Knights 3 (SO) Here along the Lake Buffalo fans had to endure former Sabres Olofsson and Eichel scoring, falling behind, having one of their young stars during the second period getting checked so hard his helmet flew off and did not return to finish the game.
Center Mcleod scores Sabres first goal of the game
When Jackie Vegas scored the third goal giving the Knights a 3-2 lead with minutes remaining in the game you would have thought he won the Cup again the way he celebrated which highlights his deep animosity towards our city, team, and fan base.
overly dramatic player endeavoring to mock Buffalo fans
While the Sabres had UPL on the bench for the extra attacker, Neveda gained control of the puck and could have shot the puck towards the open net and won the game 4-2, but nooooo, the petty Knights player instead of the sure win thought it best to pass the puck to Jackie Vegas so that he could score again to really hurt Buffalo fans.
Happily, the Knights poorly intended pass failed, Buffalo regained possession and with approximately a baker’s dozen worth of seconds remaining and an extra attacker, Captain Dahlin sends the game into overtime with the Sabres’ third goal.
Captain Dahlin scoring the game tying goal
Overtime was tense and exciting with Buffalo getting the only SOG during the entire five minutes of play which led to a shootout where former Sabres LW sniper Olofsson scored first.
Goaltender Luukkonen prevents Jackie Vegas from scoring in the shootout
Buffalo’s RW Quinn scored for Buffalo followed by RW Tuch scoring the game winning goal as UPL made the ultimate save on Nevada for the win splitting the two-game season series 1-1, sending Jackie Vegas home with his tail in between his skates.
Sharks 4 – Blackhawks 2 For the most part last night’s game was entertaining, until the game was 3-2 and Referee #5 Chris Rooney gave Center Bedard a 10-minute game misconduct penalty for abuse of officials.
Captain Foligno does not seem convinced
It has always been understood that this penalty was called if a player actually put their hands on an official not just hurting their feelings by complaining about an obvious non-call.
The Sharks Player’s blade caused Center Bedard to go down
Referee Rooney is a seasoned official that calls on average 51.1% power plays during the game in favor of the home team, last night was no different as San Jose was given two power plays to Chicago’s single extra attacker opportunity.
Confusion created by the late penalty call
Curious to know what the young man said to Referee Rooney that made him so upset as to issue such a severe penalty during the third period of a one-goal game and why the referee whistled the penalty after the player had left the ice and not immediately after the alleged abuse.
Around the League
Panthers 3 – Maple Leafs 2 / Knights 4 – Blue Jackets 0
Senators 6 – Bruins 3 / Devils 3 – Oilers 2
Flyers 4 – Lightning 3 / Rangers 3 – Wild 2
Penguins 5 – Blues 3 / Kings 3 – Capitals 0
St Patrick’s Day weekend reminder: Sabres start at 12:30 pm tomorrow
Sabres 3 – Red wings 7 The one dominant characteristic of Lindy coached teams is inconsistency, highlighted by the previous game, a win over the Cup champs 3-2, then skate into Detroit and allow seven goals in the very next game.
Center Thompson about to give Buffalo the 1-0 lead
Additionally, I appreciate when an NHL team creates a good-looking third uniform kit, for example Buffalo’s Black & Red Brawney sweaters, well Detroit’s ridiculous stripe down the middle of their helmets make it seem as if they are wearing some dopey looking football helmets.
Buffalo’s newest forward Center Norris scores his first goal as a Sabres player
It could be that I am biased because the boys just lost by four goals to the Wings, I know Detroit is using the exact helmets every team utilizes, but that stripe has to go, imho, lol.
The Sabres return home for an early Saturday afternoon game during the Ides of March beginning at 12:30, so everyone attending the “Old Neighborhood St. Patrick’s Day Parade” that begins at noon will be able to watch the remainder of the game after the parade.
The parade goes right past the front of Buffalo Winter’s home!
Buffalo has two St. Patrick’s Day parades, there is one on Sunday similar to what every other city in the country has, and our own Saturday parade that traces the original parade route of early Irish immigrants from over a century ago, and with summer like weather this weekend, it will be packed with revelers.
Bruins 3 – Panthers 2 Boston fans are celebrating after last night’s come from behind victory against the defending Cup champions which keeps Boston in the midst of a three-way tie competing for the last wild card seeding in the Eastern Conference.
Five minutes into the third period the Panthers score 5 on 3 to take a commanding 2-0 lead over their hosts, but with 11 minutes remaining in the game Boston scores three times over an eight-minute span securing another home (19-11-5) victory.
Newest Bruins and former Sabres, Center Mittelstadt and Defenseman Jokiharju combine to assist Boston in scoring their first goal.
Tonight, the Sabres are in Motor City to take on the Eastern Conference Red Wings, a team that is still realistically in reach of the final wild card seeding, just behind Boston, New York, and Montreal in a very tight race to the playoffs.
Buffalo Winter 