I wonder if Ryan Miller feels bad for Matt Hackett. After all, a game like this last season would have seen Miller between the pipes for the Buffalo Sabres, valiantly trying to hold off a superior team, getting peppered with shot after shot, and ultimately getting squashed in the third period.
Whether he feels bad for his old team or not, Miller and the Vancouver Canucks showed no remorse as they handed the Buffalo Sabres a 5-2 loss. It was the 14th straight loss for the Sabres, who are quickly closing in on the all-time NHL record of 17 straight losses.
Most of the offense in the game came on the power play, as both teams scored two goals with the man advantage. Both Buffalo goals came from Chris Stewart, whose trade value continues to skyrocket, said the hopeful blogger. The Canucks offense was more spread out, and included an empty net goal in the final minute.
Hackett made his season debut last night against a player he grew up watching, and made 33 saves on 37 shots. With the season already in the tank, there’s no reason not to keep Hackett in Buffalo for a while to see if he can handle an NHL crease.
The third period saw the Sabres get outshot 15-6, even though they were down two goals. I can’t remember the last time Buffalo actually had even a decent third period effort, let alone a great one. This may have some correlation with the fact that the team has lost 14 straight games. Hm.
The Sabres have one more game on the road – Tuesday at Montreal – before they come back to Buffalo, and should they lose to the Canadiens, they’ll have the Blues and Stars as the teams who could hand Buffalo losses #16 and #17.
Three Questions
1. How will Ryan Miller preform in his first game against the Sabres?
Compared to last season, Miller must have thought this game was a breeze. The Sabres only mustered 22 shots, and Miller stopped 20 of them to earn the win. “I’m not going to lie, it was a little bit weird looking down the ice and seeing that jersey”, said Miller to Sabres.com. It probably was, but I bet it felt pretty good.
2. Will Matt Hackett get his first NHL start of the season?
Yes, and he played OK. Keep giving him chances, Ted. I hear he works really hard.
3. Can the Sabres avoid losing a 14th consecutive game?
No.
Comment on the Game
Stafford energized because he’s worried Stewart might get traded first?
ABANDON SHIP. WOMEN CHILDREN AND INCONSISTENT FORWARDS FIRST.