Hey Now!!?? How about that??
The Sabres earned their first overtime win of the young season against the hated Toronto Maple Leafs with a solid display of team defense and offensive opportunism. Evander Kane got his first “allowed” goal of the year and Matty Moulson put a beautiful shootout goal away to give the Sabes their first win over the Leafs of the season. A great team effort gave our boys a well-earned win at home over our regional and divisional rivals in a victory that will surely set our team’s spirits high heading into a showdown with les habitants de Quebec on Friday.
You could tell watching this game that our boys wanted this one badly. Through 2 periods, the familiar feeling of inevitably losing started to creep in, but our players said “No”! They kept fighting and skating and pulled out a well-deserved win. The stats told a different story than the scoreboard early – The Sabres out-shot the Leafs 35-24 in the end and dominated play and possession throughout the game, and were unlucky to go down 1-0 early in the game on a wicked deflection from the point. However, hard skating and perseverance paid off when Kane tied her up late in the third period.
In the third period with things looking bleak, Big Z Zemgus Girgensons fought a Toronto defender in the corner for a loose puck and caused the puck to bounce out to the point where Evander Kane intercepted it, got an open look at the net, and fired a dart over Jonathan Bernier’s shoulder and didn’t miss. What a goal! This was the moment that we had been waiting for all game. For the whole night up until that point, the puck just didn’t seem to be bouncing our way, but with a strong rip from the right circle, Evander evened the score with an absolute rocket to beat Bernier and tie the game.
The 3 on 3 overtime period had fans at the arena and those of us at home standing, watching every rush and counter rush with our hands near our mouths, chewing on our finger nails because the tension was so thick. Toronto had some great chances in the overtime period, but Chad Johnson was up to the challenge, making some ridiculous saves and keeping us in the game. One save in particular, where Nazim Kadri had him one on one and made a nasty move, showed Johnson’s ability to slide from post to post and he had his left leg in perfect position to make the kick save and keep the puck out of the net.
In the shootout portion, the Sabres decision to shoot first was surely met with skepticism by many fans, but in the end it paid off, even though P.A. Parenteau gave Toronto the early lead. Down 1-0 in the shootout, Tyler Ennis stepped up, calmly skated into the slot and ripped a slap shot home off the left post, channeling his inner TV Thomas Vanek to even the shootout. Then Johnson came up with another big save on JVR James Van Riemsdyk, and it was Matty Moulson’s moment. He smoothly skated in, deked, deked again, and then waited Bernier out until he was totally hung out to dry and ripped the puck into the side netting from wide on the left side. Then it was Johnson’s time, and he put up a brick wall (with 23 total saves) and stoned former Sabre Brad Boyes’ tame effort and the Sabres had the win.
This was the kind of win a young team can and will build off of and Dan Bylsma is surely pleased with his team’s effort and the resolve they showed to hang on and pull out the 2 points. Although we don’t play the Leafs again until March (what a weird schedule), you can tell that this team is starting to gather some momentum. By showing that we can play solid defense, with adequate (and at times, spectacular goaltending), we are setting ourselves up for success. Let’s Go Buffalo!
Philip Wilkins is a Baltimore Orioles fan, Buffalo transplant. Grew up in Connecticut but born in Maryland. Graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder – Go Buffs! Lived in San Francisco after college. Moved to Buffalo in 2009 after spending a half-year abroad in Australia and New Zealand. Life-long Baseball, Hockey, and Football fan. Sabres fan since NHL ’94 for Sega Genesis came out with the Sabres’ top line of Alexander Mogilny, Pat LaFontaine and Dale Howerchuck with Alexei Zhitnik and Richard Smehlik on D and Domink Hasek in net – best lineup in the game!
“I believe that the Sabres were robbed in ’99 when Hull’s skate was in the crease. Now Buffalo is home and I am looking for a Cup and a Super Bowl in short order. We have the talent and the coaching and the ownership – what is stopping us?”
Go Bills, Go Sabres, Go Bisons!