Sabres Edge Florida For Another Tight Victory
Score: Buffalo Sabres 3-2 Florida Panthers
Shots: BUF 39-29 FLA
Buffalo Sabres Goals: Alex Tuch 23rd PPG (R. McLeod, B. Byram) Beck Malenstyn 5th (J. Norris, N. Ostlund) Peyton Krebs 9th EN (T. Thompson, A. Tuch)
Florida Panthers Goals: Matthew Tkachuk 5th PPG (B. Marchand, S. Bennett) Sam Bennett 20th
Plus 1: Solid 1st Period on the Road
It was a back and forth first period with decent chances for both teams. Alex Lyon came to play, making several good stops for Buffalo. Florida got an early power play but the Sabres goalie thwarted two good chances for the Panthers. At the other end, Daniil Tarasov wasn’t tested with as many quality shots but he did face more rubber. Buffalo’s 4th line grinders had a great shift halfway though the period and Alex Tuch had a good chance from 20 feet out 15 minutes in.
The Sabres would get a late power play (Oh no!) but the much maligned man advantage came in clutch this time. Alex Tuch’s quick shot from the slot found the net, top corner over Tarasov’s glove. Kudos to Ryan McLeod for a nice dish to set up the scoring chance. Bowen Byram picked up the secondary assist. Buffalo ended up outshooting Florida for the period with a whopping 16 shots to 11. Special teams were the difference in the 1st frame.
Minus 1: Stay Out the Box
Buffalo had some good chances early. Unfortunatly for Gustav Forsling, one of those changes let to him taking a stick to the face from his own goalie and perhaps a partial skate to the face as well. It wasn’t as bad as it first looked thankfully, and he returned to the game soon after. Peyton Krebs had a nice backcheck on a Florida 2 on 1 break soon after, helping to slow down the rush.
The Sabres took a questionable too many men on the ice penalty around the 10 minute mark but the Sabres killed it off. Lyon had several key stops. Buffalo nearly cashed in right after, as Tage Thompson’s shot deflected out of play with half the Florida net unguarded. The back and forth play continued but Michael Kesselring’s hooking penalty proved costly as Matthew Tkachuk cashed in almost immediately after. The power play goal tied the game up at one each.
Josh Doan had a late breakaway and drew a penalty but nothing doing for the Sabres. The power play problems we know and loath reared their ugly heads again. Buffalo outshot Florida a second time, by a 12 to 11 margin. Daniil Tarasov had a strong period and was starting to frustrate the Blue and Gold.
Plus 2: Beck’s Blast and Peyton’s Place
Once again, lots of back and forth play with chances at both ends. Good saves and missed opportunities for both teams. Buffalo didn’t listen to my second period advice as Josh Dunne was called for hooking in the neutral zone. Thankfully, the Sabres killed it off with little adversity.
Alex Lyon made a tremendous pad save in tight midway through the period and a scrum ensued. Buffalo answered with good pressure and a chance by Krebs. Back and forth they went, up and down the ice with the Sabres having the slight territorial edge.
Buffalo finally broke the tie when Beck Malenstyn’s blast from the point eluded Tarasov with traffic in front. Tarasov signaled for interference right away as a Buffalo player’s stick touched the goalie’s glove (heaven forbid!) but miraculously Toronto let the goal stand. It was Beck’s 5th tally of the year. Norris and Ostlund got the apples. Florida pulled the goalie soon after and our empty net specialist Peyton Krebs scored the game winner long distance. Buffalo needed that one as Florida scored one more goal very late (what was that Rasmus Dahlin?) but the Sabres held on after that with just seconds to go. 3-2 is you final as our boys improve to 2-0 on this road trip and move into 2nd place in the division with 74 points. They are even with Detroit but have the tiebreaker. Buffalo won 3 out of 4 games from the defending Stanley Cup champs this season.
Final Thoughts:
Alex Lyon had another strong game in this goaltending duel. He finished with 27 saves and really only let in the one goal. The man just wins hockey games.
Unsung hero Ryan McLeod has an astounding 28 points in his last 30 games. His tremendous speed factors in to most of his production. I don’t think the Edmonton Oilers knew what they had buried on their 4th line.
The Sabres are right back at it Saturday evening with a tough tilt against Tampa. Game time is 7pm.