The Buffalo Sabres were down 3-0 in the first period. Goals had been given up to Savard, Foligno (the bad guy one) and Bjorkstrnad, and things looked pretty bleak for the guys in blue and gold
However, bucking every trend they’ve showcased over the past three weeks, the Sabres mounted a furious comeback, scoring five unanswered goals, and ended up sending the fans home happy with a 5-3 victory over the Blue Jackets.
We all had some choice words for the team during the first intermission, but reports from inside the locker room were that Dan Bylsma lit his team up, and boy did it work. With Robin Lehner coming in for Anders Nilsson to start the second, the Sabres would score three goals – including one with three seconds left – to tie the game 3-3 by the end of the period.
McCabe, Moulson, and Reinhart had the second period goals, and it would be – who else? – Evander Kane that would nail the game winner on a nice power play pass from Eichel, who also scored the empty net goal to seal the victory.
The Sabres have demonstrated all year that they’re capable of comebacks, though it’s concerning how often they have to resort to that tactic. “We’ve shown it all year, we can come back in these games,” said Jake McCabe. “It shouldn’t take a deficit of 3-0 to wake us up. We came out really flat tonight, but we really came together as a group and found a way to win.”
Robin Lehner played great in relief of Nilsson, pitching a two-period shutout and making some fantastic saves along the way. It was a nice rebound for a guy who’s been going through a rough patch recently, and he was helped by some real life defense in front of him. Whoda thunk?
The comeback salvages a home-and-home series with Columbus, and ends Buffalo’s losing streak. A west coast road trip is their reward, and while at this point the playoffs are a distant memory, we’ve still got some (hopefully) fun hockey left to watch.
Three Questions
1. How long will Eichel’s point streak last? Will Eichel start a new point streak tonight?
Two points on the night – his 28th assist and 19th goal – means we got a new streak to look forward to. Giddy up!
2. Can the Sabres shore up their defensive deficiencies for, like, one game?
Mostly yes. They were really good for two periods! Just don’t go back and watch that first one. Nothing really important happened anyway…
3. Can Buffalo flip the script on special teams?
The Sabres scored two power play goals and allowed zero. Exactly what we all expected.
Comment of the Game
Someone should have cavity searched Lehner before the game, because he just pulled that save out of his ass.
Posted by O-Town Sabre