The Buffalo Sabres are officially on a roll. Another solid effort tonight gave Buffalo their third straight win and a good victory over a team that smoked them a week ago, as they beat the Wild tonight by a score of 2-1.
The first period was something we could certainly grow accustomed to – yet another strong start from the Sabres. Ryan O’Reilly scored the opening goal thanks to a great shot from Rasmus Ristolainen that ROR snagged and buried at an awkward angle for his fourth of the year. The Sabres controlled play for much of the first, outshooting the Wild 9-6 in the first frame, and it was like watching a completely different team than the one we saw face the Wild last week.
The second period was a bit of a struggle for the Sabres. They gave up the lead thanks to a power play goal by Mikael Granlund, who was excellent tonight, and the Wild led in shots 21-16 after two. The refs were very conservative with the whistles tonight, giving each team just one power play opportunity.
The third period is often the decider, and it was again tonight, once again in favor of the Sabres. Johan Larsson scored his second of the season – both game winners – to seal the deal for Buffalo, who have now won three straight and avenged a thrashing by the Wild just a week ago.
It wasn’t all roses for the Sabres tonight, as Zach Bogosian left the game with a knee injury and did not return. Casey Nelson will look to get his first start of the year should BOGO be unable to GOGO. The Sabres next game takes place on Thursday, when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Three Questions
1. Can the top line of Moulson, O’Reilly, and Okposo stay hot?
Well, ROR scored the opening goal tonight, and thought the rest of the line was held point-less, they did play well tonight, creating a number of great chances and sealing the deal defensively in the final minute of the game.
2. Will the Sabres get some offensive contributions from the rest of the team?
Johan Larsson scored the game winner, but only he, O’Reilly, and Gionta had any points for the Sabres tonight. It was a solid defensive effort, but we’ll still need to see more from the bottom half of this squad if they’re going to keep the good times rolling.
3. Who wins the special teams battle?
The Wild won the special teams battle tonight, though neither team had many opportunities. Each roster had just one power play, and Minnesota cashed in while Buffalo did not.
Comment of the Game
Minnesota Wild playing more like the Minnesota Domesticated at this point.
Posted by EichEichBaby
Highlights
Coming soon.