Category: Hockey History 1917-2023

Single digit temps to greet the Lightning

Today’s 12:30 afternoon game is the Sabres last home game for January versus the number one wild card team in the Eastern Conference, Tampa Bay, a team that has only won three more games this season than Buffalo achieved earning a strong home record of only five losses.

Winning their last two games by shut outs and are 6-4 in their last 10 games, Buffalo just past the halfway point of the 2023-24 NHL season and are not out of the playoff seeding picture as of yet.

A victory today will give the Sabres a winning home record and assist in their goal differential before heading out West to battle Anaheim, Los Angeles, and San Jose to finish up the month’s schedule.

Will UPL make his fourth consecutive start? Is Mr. Levi going to remain Buffalo’s back-up or get playing time in Rochester? And why are the sports pundits speculating about Mr. Mittelstadt being traded because his contract is not locked down long term, time will tell.

The Hockey News has digitized all of their back issues, and here is a gem worth looking into to understand referees/linesmen and all that they have to go through and how they call the games.

Unyielding and Impenetrable Luukkonen

Buffalo 3 Chicago 0

The Buffalo Sabres swept away the two Western Conference basement dwellers in the past two contests with shut outs, and can earn a winning Home record versus a solid wild card team in the Lightning tomorrow afternoon.

What has to be the best “Slap Shot Moment” for Buffalo this season was last night when their star number one defenseman in the penalty box literally reached over the dasher board to stop the puck as his penalty expired before stepping out onto the ice.

Well that is not allowed so Mr. Dahlin had to spin around and skate right back into the penalty box for another two minutes.

Edmonton 4 Seattle 2

Edmonton marches onward with their 12^th consecutive victory, a 4-2 come from behind down 2-0 performance at home versus Seattle with Oilers Draisaitl (1G, 3A), Foegele (2G), Hyman (1G, 1A), and Kane (2A) leading the offense.

Toronto 4 Calgary 2

Also highlighting why a “two-goal” lead is considered dangerous and difficult to protect the Flames had a first period two goal lead get cut in half by Mr. Matthews with 96 seconds remaining in the period before finishing his hat trick in the second period.

Sabres Players of Note

Buffalo’s former left wing Tyler Ennis is retiring after playing for nearly 20 seasons for teams in the WHL, AHL, NHL, including Swiss and German leagues, a decent 20 goal scorer for Buffalo Mr. Ennis was a spectacular dangler who could excite the crowd with his moves.

John Wayne & Rita Hayworth do hockey

In 1937 two hockey movies were released, John Wayne’s “Idol of the Crowds” and Rita Hayworth’s “The Game that Kills”, both involve the underworld’s grip on sports gambling with romance, murder, and mayhem both on and off the ice.

Admittedly I was initially shocked and pleased to learn that “The Duke”, Mr. Wayne himself made a hockey movie and that the 1940s leading sex symbol Miss Hayworth had also released a hockey movie in the same year as Mr. Wayne.

Miss Hayworth’s movie is just 55 minutes and featured some NAHL Johnstown Jets players, the plot revolves around a player that is killed during a game accidentally and his brother who does not believe the narrative shows up to investigate.

The team owner is head of a gambling ring, the head coach in debt with bad checks and his daughter is kidnapped after falling in love with the brother who is now a player on her father’s team and has to throw an important game.

In Mr. Wayne’s movie which is also approximately one hour long highlights a farmer who wants to expand his chicken farm and does this through playing hockey, and gangsters endeavor to get him to throw the big game using a dame to steer him into their corner.

Both movies of course can now be streamed at your convenience on any number of services thanks to modern technology for all curious hockey enthusiasts.

Tonight Buffalo hosts Chicago (again) weather permitting.

Oilers 4 Maple Leafs 2

At home where it sounded as if half of the fans were cheering for Toronto and getting scored on 27 seconds into the game the Oilers fell behind 2-0 before scoring a soft goal with about four minutes remaining in the second period to cut the lead to one.

The Maple Leafs defensive corps played with heart as they blocked 16 out of 21 team blocked shots with each defenseman earning at least two blocked shots and up until Edmonton’s first score Leafs netminder Jones looked near impregnable.

Some nights your offensive players hit crossbar and posts all game and some players shoot pucks that the announcers assure us have “eyes” that allowed them to get through a chaotic maze of players, in any event Edmonton has as a new team record with 11 straight wins.

The NHL winning streak record is 17 wins courtesy of Pittsburgh during the early 1990s, Edmonton has a realistic opportunity but six or seven more consecutive wins begins at home tonight versus the Kraken.

Buffalo donning their brawny black & red sweaters host Chicago tonight if everything can get shoveled out and if required the Blackhawks can arrive by snowmobiles, then securing a victory the Sabres will reach an 11-11-1 home record.

p.s. game is postponed

Ultimate Performing Luukkonen

The Buffalo Sabres have owned the San Jose Sharks whenever the California opponent comes to the shores of Lake Erie, with an over 80% winning percentage coupled with last night’s 3-0 victory Buffalo is 20-4-0 all time at home versus San Jose.

Buffalo will endeavor to beat the Sharks again in 11 days when visiting San Jose for the second of their two-game season series at four o’clock Saturday afternoon the 27^th of January.

Overshadowed by UPL’s stellar shutout was Mr. Mittelstadt’s three point performance carrying Buffalo’s offense as he scored first even strength, earning a secondary assist on Buffalo’s second goal during the power play, then instead of shooting into an empty net he passed to his teammate for his second assist.

Tomorrow night at home Buffalo hosts Chicago and the Blackhawks will be playing without defenseman Seth Jones, winger Nick Foligno, and their Number One draft pick Connor Bedard as the Sabres look to Mr. Samuelsson’s (day-to-day) return to duty at the blue line.

NHL History

The Edmonton Oilers recorded their 10^th consecutive win a few nights ago and tonight can be number 11 at home versus the Maple Leafs, so it was this month 40 seasons ago when Buffalo became the first NHL team to win 10 consecutive road games.