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NCAA DIV I MEN’S ICE HOCKEY TOURNAMENT

Here along the Lake a private Jesuit college, Canisius College founded in 1870 has won the Atlantic Hockey Conference Championship downtown over Holy Cross winning the Jack Riley Trophy to represent the Atlantic Hockey Conference in the NCAA Tournament Regionals March 23-28 in Fargo, North Dakota.

Canisius first began Division I Men’s Ice Hockey in 1997-98 joining the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and made it to the Finals by upsetting the top-seeded team in the semi-finals, Canisius left the MAAC to join the Atlantic Hockey Conference in 2003-04 for the Conference’s inaugural season.

In 2012-13 Canisius won their first Conference championship and first trip to the NCAA Tournament, now after earning their second AHC title and getting into the NCAA Tournament their biggest challenge awaits them in the number one seeded team in the Nation, Minnesota.

The Canisius Golden Griffins (20-18-3) can shock the College Hockey world by upsetting the Minnesota Golden Gophers (26-9-1) in the opening round at Scheels Arena this Thursday, March 23^rd with the opening faceoff scheduled for nine o’clock.

Number one:    Last night’s .720 save percentage on 25 shots is unacceptable.

Number two:    Recently having 10 goals scored against.

Number three:  Continuously blaming the team for leaving the goalie out to dry.

Number four:    Endeavoring to develop backup goaltenders into starters.

Number five through seven:   Mr. Levi is here.

To be a goaltender in the NHL is a thankless double-edged sword that can ruin you emotionally as well as physically.

The personalities that have guarded the nets over the past Century in the NHL are wide and varied as they have been entertaining and even a bit odd.

From stuck-up to friendly, from puking to eating popcorn before a game, the superstitions and routines are brought more sharply into focus with goaltenders than the ones practiced by defensemen and forwards.

HC Granato has his team playing well that has grown into three to seven games over 500 percent in the standings a huge improvement over recent seasons and with the slim glimmer of a wild card playoff seeding teasing Buffalo, patience is still required.

Buffalo has watched Mr. Barrasso leave and win Cups, watched Mr. Hasek leave and win Cups, watched St Louis “take” Mr. Miller, watched Mr. Lehner leave and do well, watching Mr. Ullmark after leaving marching to the Cup with his new team.

Will Mr. Levi be Buffalo’s answer in net?

 It is possible with HC Granato, Mr. Anderson, a solid young corps that want to be here along the Lake, a good team learning and growing into a playoff contender, almost the perfect opportunity for this young goaltender to be part of this team.

The season is not over and it will take a herculean effort to overcome and go forward positively from this recent home game, fortunately, we have the team and personnel to do it.

Mr. Dahlin blocked three shots to increase his total to a team-leading 111 and Mr. Lyubushkin blocked four shots last night as Buffalo adds another important point in the race for a wild card seeding.

Late in the third period as Mr. Lyubushkin is taking a shot his stick snapped in half just as Mr. Ovechkin was reaching in/ semi-slashing him and the official called a slashing infraction on Washington much to the dismay of most Capitals players and their fans.

Predictably the officials, approximately one minute later tag Buffalo with a “roughing” call on Mr. Tuch, and Mr. Wilson in front of the net snaps the tying goal in with 68 seconds remaining in the game.

Tough break and in overtime the official “saw” a Sabres player trip a Capitals player but in reality, Mr. Oshie stepped on Mr. Cozens’s stick slowing down Buffalo and creating the opportunity for a shootout.

A slow and weird-looking attempt by Washington on their first shot in overtime eludes Mr. Luukkonen and Mr. Oshie scores on their second shot while Buffalo is blanked on two attempts to end the game and collect a much-needed point.

Last night’s noteworthy highlights

The Columbus Blue Jackets mathematically eliminated the San Jose Sharks playoff hopes last night in overtime 6-5 as Mr. Gaudreau earned five points which has not happened for Columbus since the Bread Man scored five points six seasons ago.

Goliath went to Chicago and was dropped like a bad habit 6-3 as the Blackhawks tag Mr. Ullmark with five goals, get an empty netter, and a Blackhawks player scores his first hat trick while Pasta whiffs on a penalty shot giving Boston their second consecutive loss.

Montreal marches into Pittsburgh and makes Swiss cheese out of Mr. Jarry by scoring four times on six shots with the last dagger being driven in with only 11 seconds remaining in the first period along with an empty net to seal the 6-4 victory.

The Devils lost to the Lightning 4-1 in a game where New Jersey won 60% of the faceoffs and scored the first goal of the game but only took seven shots in the second period and even fewer with six shots in the third period. 

The Kings put New York in checkmate 5-2 for their 21^st home victory and holding down the Islanders in the standings and bringing them even closer to losing their wild card seeding to Buffalo.

Rest of the Winners

Vancouver wins their fifth game in a row 5-2 as they hand Dallas their ninth road loss.

Arizona douses the Flames in overtime 4-3.

Edmonton doubles up on Ottawa 6-3.

Nashville wins with 16 SOG for the entire game including overtime by 2-1 over Detroit.

Jets are blown off course by the Hurricanes in a 5-3 loss.

The Rangers and Mr. Kane solidified their playoff seeding by beating the Capitals 5-3.

Philadelphia rolled the dice at home versus sin city and lost 5-3 as Mr. Quick continues to play impressively with his new team.

After being outshot by a four-to-one margin and taking the game’s first penalty in the first period Buffalo survived the period but things turned bleak quickly as Toronto scored twice in three minutes early in the second period to take a 2-0 lead.

Buffalo battled back relentlessly as Mr. Quinn scores with five minutes left in the second period and the Sabres outshot the Leafs by a five-to-one margin and were awarded two power plays alas the game remained 1-2 heading into the third period.

Less than four minutes into the third period Mr. Tuch in his first game back from a lower-body injury ties the game at two with his 29th of the season, six minutes later Mr. Cozens bats in his own rebound and Buffalo takes the 3-2 lead.

Approximately 30 seconds later Toronto is whistled for their third penalty and Mr. Tuch scores his 30th of the season building the game’s 4-2 lead with less than nine minutes remaining in the contest but the Leafs make it close as they score with 62 seconds remaining.

Buffalo repels the Buds in the final minute for an important road victory as the Sabres seek to secure a wild card seeding by continuing to win the two holiday road games this week in Washington and Philadelphia.