Author: Buffalo Winter

Nothing cures a four-game winless stretch quicker than a seven-goal victory even when it happens versus the last-place team in the league.

What has to be the most frightening 7-3 win the Sabres have ever played began powerfully enough by outshooting the Ducks 19-3 and scoring twice in the first period for the two-nothing lead.

On the heels of two heavy losses where a two-goal lead was lost at home the horrific memories of those games came to the forefront when Anaheim scored three times in less than seven minutes during the second period to take the 3-2 lead.

Soon after, 35 seconds to be exact, Mr. Krebs scored his eighth of the season to tie the game at three and the same line of Mr. Krebs, Mr. Mittelstadt, and Mr. Quinn scored again four and a half minutes later for the 4-3 lead.

The third period was all Buffalo as the Sabres added 13 more SOG to their eventual 44 SOG for the game, played physical through the misconducts, roughing, and cross-checking penalties, and tallied three times to increase their goal output to seven.

In all seven Sabres recorded a two-point night with Mr. Dahlin scoring two assists and also earning another roughing penalty to add to his team-leading PIMs total, Buffalo goes from playing team 30 to playing team 29 this Saturday night versus San Jose.

Approximately at 10 o’clock last night, January 29 the NHL had a tweet of Top 10 Waiver Wire Pickups, who makes these recommendations, and do they even play fantasy Hockey I wonder rhetorically.

Number One Logan Couture

It is unlikely that Mr. Couture is actually on the waiver wire, this player averages 2.2 points per game and is already over 100 points earned total in fantasy this season, but if he was available picking this player up off the waiver wire is a no-brainer.

Number Two Andrew Mangiapane

No reason to pick up this player he is well behind last season’s pace and his total in fantasy is 1.3 points per game with 64.5 points total in 50 games this season, in his last five games one goal and four assists struggling to be average.

Number Three Kirill Marchenko

In 27 NHL games this season, Mr. Marchenko has scored 13 goals, and no assists, he will take a block and hit someone every game, averages 1.7 points per game in fantasy, and has taken only 50 shots on goal, a better overall game is required before acquiring.

Number Four Max Domi

 Mr. Domi in 48 games is averaging 1.5 points a game and earned 74 total fantasy points, he gives a hit or takes a block once every four games and has scored 14 goals with 21 assists there are still waiver wire players that earn more points, go with one of them instead.

Number Five Filip Chytil

A player worth putting on your watch list Mr. Chytil earns 1.8 points per game, will hit and block every game, and is a solid 20-goal scorer in the NHL, and in 41 games he has earned 72 total points, the only drawback is limited ice time.

Number Six Ridly Greig

Unless you have followed Mr. Greig in the WHL and AHL you are not determining in three NHL games if this player would be a positive pick up, in his first NHL game he took 8 SOG and earned an assist, utilize the watch list for now.

Number Seven Kyle Palmieri

Endeavor not to select players over 30 years of age, not that there are not some very productive thirty-something players in the NHL but unfortunately Mr. Palmieri is not one of them, he averages 1.3 points per fantasy game and coming back from injury, old and fragile, steer clear.

Number Eight Samuel Girard

An average NHL second-pairing defenseman Mr. Girard can hit and block with a possible assist every four games, and earning 1.5 fantasy points per game is not going to win any weekly matchups or playoff games, do not select.

Number Nine Daniel Vladar

Mr. Vladar a goaltender for the Calgary Flames a recent Buffalo Winter waiver wire acquisition on the 28th of January a goaltender that has won his last five starts.

In 19 games this season Mr. Vladar has built an 11-4-4 record with a 2.77 GAA and a .904 save percentage for a Calgary team playing for a wild card in the Western Conference, he produces positive fantasy points and could make a difference in the playoffs.

Number Ten Anton Forsberg

Mr. Forsberg runs hot and cold and has won less than half of his starts, an average NHL goalie who mostly remains just above a .900 save percentage but will let in three or four goals consistently, not a fantasy gem by any stretch, leave him on the waiver wire.

Both National anthems are performed and the Jets sported their reverse retro sweaters but that was about all the fans at the game had to cheer about as the Sabres put on a dominant display as they continue to win on the road.

Rookie defenseman Mr. Power makes Sabres history by scoring in three consecutive games with his third of the season past the halfway point of the first period to propel Buffalo into a 1-0 lead.

The Sabres continuously drove Winnipeg back into their zone and with a most impressive puck possession outshot the Jets 28-11 for two periods as Buffalo built a two-goal lead when Mr. Thompson scored his 34th goal approximately six minutes into the second period.  

Buffalo picked up right where they left off in the third by cycling high creating opportunities for defensemen to be open in the offensive zone and continuously putting pucks to the net while keeping their feet moving.

A Winnipeg player dangerously uses the butt end of his stick to hit Mr. Cozens in the neck/jaw area and is penalized after a lengthy review with roughing which the Jets head coach vehemently protests.

Mr. Cozens went to the locker room and did not return while the Sabres took advantage of the power play as Mr. Olofsson scores his 23rd goal of the season to give Buffalo a seemingly insurmountable 3-0 lead with less than half a period to go in the game.

Buffalo is penalized with six minutes remaining and just as Winnipeg pulls their goalie they score just under five minutes left for the 3-1 score than with three minutes in the game the Jets pull the goalie again and score again with less than a minute to go.

The clock is reset twice in the last minute of play and there is another empty net attack, Buffalo ices the puck then an offsides with a faceoff at the 1.1-second mark as the clock and time run out on Winnipeg and their hopeful fans.

Across the NHL last night fans showed their appreciation.

Not that I am a fashionista but it does seem inappropriate to wear midriff-exposing shirts in an ice Hockey arena during the middle of January, I appreciate the aesthetics provided but I paid money and prefer the Hockey game to distract me.  

After the Islanders scored to get within one of the Senators a jubilant New York fan has the Ottawa fans in stitches some are laughing so hard, I have no idea what the Mr. Potvin sweater-wearing fan said, but it must have been a good one.

Incredibly the Columbus Blue Jackets provided false hope to Edmonton fans.

Seattle after half a dozen attempts finally beat the Vancouver Canucks for the first time in their short existence and their fans were pumped.

Fans of all sports exhibit their emotional support of their teams, but Hockey Fans are the real deal, every day, every game, we hoot and holler sometimes until the neighbors call law enforcement, lol.

Football has marching bands and cheerleaders, soccer players pull their shirts over their heads when they score, voluptuous women rush onto baseball fields to kiss players, and basketball fans get bowled over and sometimes smacked by overpaid players along the sidelines.

Hockey fans have been treated to some of the aforementioned antics but overall Hockey gives exactly what the fans desire and that is Hockey!

Ironically the last time Buffalo won in St. Louis two days after Christmas 2009 it was by the same 5-3 score as last night when the Blues were sporting their Reverse Retro sweaters.

Mr. Skinner scored first as he reaches 20 goals for the ninth time in his career off of a beautiful pass from Mr. Thompson perfectly placed in the slot as Mr. Skinner uncontested snapped one in for the 1-0 lead exactly one minute into the game.

Only 25 seconds later the top line scores again with Mr. Tuch putting in his 23rd goal of the season off of another excellent pass this time from behind the net to earn his 90th point in his 97th game playing for Buffalo.

Immediately after this goal, St. Louis uses their time-out to take a breather and it worked for about ten minutes until rookie defenseman Mr. Power scored to give Buffalo the 3-0 lead.

The second period started out with Buffalo continuing to score as Mr. Thompson netted his 33rd goal to build Buffalo’s lead to 4-0 and Mr. Tuch with the primary assist earns his 91st point as he passes Sabres current color analyst Mr. Ray on the all-time Sabres scoring list.

Just as the announcer quips “Look out Luukkonen” the Blues score twice in a couple of minutes before the halfway point of the period and Buffalo tightens it up and closes out the period strong.

In the third period, St. Louis gets within one as they score with plenty of time remaining but Mr. Luukkonen was playing large and with 2:37 left the Blues pulled their goalie then with 106 seconds remaining they go on the power play creating a 6-on-4 advantage.

The advantage really is Buffalo’s because they can just shoot the puck down the ice at the empty net with no fear of icing.

From a Buffalo zone corner a Blues player passes blindly towards the slot where Mr. Cozens intercepts, bounces the puck off of the dasher board to himself, and then backhands it up towards the empty net from the red line scoring with 59.8 seconds remaining in the game.

Buffalo beat the Blues 5-3 to win back-to-back road games and head to Winnipeg for the third game Thursday night in this four-game road trip concluding Saturday night in Minnesota.