Sabres 2 – Flames 6 Buffalo remains the number one penalty killing team in the NHL as they did not allow a Calgary goal on the Flames only power play, the Sabres defense provided last night’s offense as Sabres (D) Samuelsson scored the Sabres first goal and earned an assist on Buffalo’s second goal by (C) Thompson’s which tied the game at two apiece entering the disastrous third period.
Buffalo completes their three-game homestand this Friday night at 7 pm versus the Chicago Blackhawks.
Sabres rookie (C) Ostlund getting underneath Oilers (D) Nurse & Hyman scores on the power play
Sabres 5 – Oilers 1 (en) Buffalo rookie (C) Ostlund produced his first multi-point game scoring during the power play and even strength, Captain (D) Dahlin dished out two assists, and rookie (G) Ellis was spectacular in net stopping 32 of 33 SOG for a .970% save percentage earning his third win in his first four games, while special teams killed a penalty and scored to contribute to the victory.
Next up during this three-game homestand are the Calgary Flames who visit tomorrow night at 7:30 pm affording Buffalo an opportunity to extend their current efforts to three consecutive wins.
I did not earn the highest total for the week but won my weekly matchup, additionally, I have moved into sole possession of my Division and the League lead, momentarily, with only six weekly matchups played there is plenty of time for playoff seedings to be earned and lost between now and March 15th the end of the FHL regular season.
I have snatched up (RW) Hyman who made his return Saturday and contributed immediately, so with a fresh batch of seven waiver wire moves the first thing I did this morning after noticing Edmonton’s winger was back, was make room for him on my roster.
I have seven players for tonight’s six game NHL schedule which includes four in the Sabres vs Oilers contest, PSA remember to move players from the bench to the active roster and as obvious as this reads people can become busy and not get to this task before the games start, in a FHL there are few things that can be as frustrating to a team manager than watching a player on the bench earn monster points.
INTERESTING GAME FROM LAST NIGHT
Canucks 6 – Lightning 2(en) Tampa Bay took the 1-0 lead late in the first period where the Lightning outshot Vancouver 13-1 and did not score until their 13th shot with 35 seconds remaining in the period, and nearly five minutes into the second period Tampa Bay scored again for the dreaded, “Two Goal Lead”, (eventually the Lightning had one goal taken back for a high stick) which they lost mightily as the Canucks also scored in the second period earning Vancouver a 1-2 deficit going into the third period.
After taking one SOG in the first period the Canucks fired 11 SOG in the third period and it was glorious for Vancouver as the Canucks scored five times in 13 minutes including the empty net when Tampa Bay was down by three with three minutes remaining in the game to crush the Lightning for a convincing road victory.
Sabres 5 – Red Wings 4 (OT) Buffalo is the number one Penalty Killing team in the NHL, and last night they stopped four of five Detroit man advantages and scored shorthanded.
The Sabres (RW) Doan after getting cross-checked from behind to the ice, got right back up and passed the puck backwards and between his legs to (C) Thompson who then proceeded down the ice around and underneath both Detroit defensemen to score the third goal while flying over the goaltender’s pad in the blue ice.
Buffalo (C) McLeod while killing a Detroit powerplay stole the puck from a Detroit defenseman at the Sabres blue line, skated down the right dasher boards then cut in towards the front of the Red Wings net and just blasted a wrister right past the netminder shorthanded to tie the game at 4-4 nearly halfway through the third period.
Buffalo Captain (D) Dahlin in his first game back dished out two assists, Sabres (G) Ellis in his second start earned his first NHL point assisting on (C) Thompson’s goal, and both (C) Thompson and (RW) Doan each scored and earned an assist.
The cherry on top last night was (D) Samuelsson in the slot scoring the OT winner from the (C) Thompson assist who flatten his man to the ice as he took the puck giving Buffalo it’s second win versus Detroit in their three-game series this season with game three scheduled next year March.
Monday night Buffalo hosts Edmonton at 7 pm, the first of a three-game homestand.
Predators 2 – Penguins 1 (OT) The 47th NHL regular season game outside of North America was played in Ostervala, Sweden and the game had Pittsburgh scoring first, sort of, the Penguins were credited with 2 SOG for the second period, but realistically they took just one, as a Penguin player endeavored to shoot the puck out from underneath the goal line towards the front of Nashville’s net the puck took an errant deflection off of Predators winger stick blade and into the net for a Pittsburgh 1-0 lead.
With 70 seconds remaining in the third period of a 1-0 game Nashville’s Swedish native (LW) Filip Forsberg with a deadly backhand scored to tie the game 1-1 forcing overtime, it was his eighth of the season.
It took the Predators a mere 44 seconds into overtime before Nashville’s 35 years old (C) Stamkos skated down the right side unmolested and snapped a blistering shot from near the right faceoff dot to the upper left corner over the goaltender’s shoulder for the win.
Nashville and Pittsburgh play game two in Stockholm, Sweden Sunday morning beginning at 9 am Eastern Standard Time.
Buffalo Winter 