The Sabres certainly didn’t make it easy on themselves. They only needed to earn one point over their final two games, but they were against teams that wouldn’t give Buffalo a free pass.
Four minutes of really bad hockey looked like it might doom Buffalo last night, but Nathan Gerbe had a goal of the year candidate to tie the game in the third and Thomas Vanek put it away early in OT.
Due credit goes to the HSBC Arena crowd for a high-energy night with the only lull coming during the Flyers’ second period run and a slow-going first period. Otherwise that was as loud as I have heard HSBC this season. Between the stirring pre-game ceremony to the rousing ovation at the end of regulation, the place was rocking last night.
Outside of a horrendous powerplay – newsflash, if you play out on Buffalo’s PP, you will destroy it – Buffalo played a very good game. Of note, on three combined powerplays the teams managed only one shot on goal while the penalty kill units had three shots and one goal for the night. Lindy Ruff made a gutsy move to put his number one netminder in for the third period after being on the shelf for a week. But it paid off. Miller made some big saves and the team responded to the message Ruff sent them.
I do want to point out to all the people who hate on Ryan Miller that they would have roasted him on a spit for the Flyers’ two second period goals. I’m not saying Enroth is at all to blame, but that is one of those things where every ignoramus in Buffalo would say “Miller needs to save that”. So call it how it is, not as you want to see it.
But back to the positives. As they have shown in the second half of the season, the Sabres are a very good team at playing from behind. They have also been finding ways to score timely goals, see Gerbe, Nathan. Thomas Vanek hit the 30-goal plateau again. For the money you’re paying him you need and expect him to at least get 30 on the year. He has really come into his own this season, and that is a very exciting prospect for the future.
Entering today’s game with Columbus, with little to play for other than seeding, I would expect to see some top forwards get limited ice time and Ryan Miller to get an opportunity to shake off the rust. If I was Lindy Ruff I might give Patty Lalime the third period, just as a sign of respect after the guy was tossed to the wayside this season.
The Sabres just need to get through today free of injury as they move into the Playoffs on a great hot streak.
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