Score: Buffalo Sabres 4, Chicago Blackhawks 3
Shots: Buffalo 28, Chicago 15
Buffalo Sabres Goals: Quinn (Metsa); Thompson (Crevier, Norris); Dahlin (Krebs, Samuelsson); Kulich (Power, Thompson)
Chicago Blackhawks Goals: Donato (Vlasic, Lardis); Bertuzzi (Teravainen, Vlasic); Moore (Frondell, Vlasic)
The Buffalo Sabres sneak past the Chicago Blackhawks, who were down number one defenseman Bowen Byram and top player Connor Bedard, 4-3 in their first win of the season.
First Period River Hockey
Though they were pressured on the first shift, thanks in part to an amped-up Jordan Greenway, the Sabres dictated the pace for the first five minutes of the first. They had their legs ready early, and while they couldn’t cash in for an early lead, it led to a handful of scoring chances.
That early work would be for naught, though, as Ryan Donato would bury a chance past Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen at the 8:00 minute mark of the period to give the Blackhawks an early lead. Blackhawks defenseman Alex Vlasic carried the puck low, and while four Sabres were in the area of the crease, Vlasic was able to find the open space to set up for Donato, who made no mistake.
This goal did not discourage the Sabres, rather it seemed to invigorate them. The Benson-Ostlund-Quinn trio combined for a couple of high-quality chances, while the line of Ryan McLeod, Konsta Helenius, and Peyton Krebs generated a quick strike chance. This, once again, was all for naught.
At the 11:49 mark, just after their scoring chance they couldn’t capitalize on, that line, particularly Helenius and Krebs, helped contribute to yet another defensive blunder, as Tyler Bertuzzi was left all alone in the crease, able to bury the easiest tap-in a player can have, thanks to a feed from Teuvo Teravaianen.
Despite the 2-0 hole they dug themselves, the Sabres kept pushing but couldn’t beat Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight. Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin was robbed once on a cross-ice feed from Quinn, then again on a chance in the high-slot a few seconds later, when the Blackhawks also benefited from an early whistle, as officials ruled Knight had the puck covered when he almost certainly did not.
Finally, though, persistence paid off, as Quinn got the Sabres on the board on their 13th shot of the period. Quinn found space, carried the puck to the high slot, and using Blackhawks defenseman Kevin Korchinski as a screen, sniped the corner to cut the deficit to 2-1. While Zach Metsa got the lone assist, the goal wouldn’t have happened without a nice pinch by Louis Crevier, who used his reach to keep the play alive.
While the score went into the first intermission at 2-1, the crowd did get one last thing to cheer about before the horn sounded, as Patrick Kane, who was met with a cacophony of boos the whole game, got lit up by Mattias Samuelsson in the dying seconds of the third.
Knight was the story of the first for the Blackhawks, who had two xGoals of chances put on him and was able to allow only one. It was overall a very “River Hockey” type period with high paced play and defensive lapses.
A full 60 (pages)
The Sabres came out firing in the second, generating a few shots in the first few minutes, and missing on a few others, with McLeod unable to center a pass to the slot and Quinn overskating a puck. Knight also made a nice glove save on Sam Carrick from the slot, then another on Quinn a couple minutes later.
The Sabres kept the pressure on and were rewarded with the equalizer just six minutes into the second. Thompson won a faceoff back to Crevier, who ripped a shot from the point that deflected off Thompson’s stick for his first of the season.
The Sabres were not satisfied with a tie, as the pressure continued relentlessly after the game was tied up. Knight had to keep his head in the game, quite literally, as he used his mask to deny Olen Zellweger of a potential go ahead goal.
The game hit a lull in the middle part of the second, as both teams defaulted to feeling each other out. The Blackhawks would get the game’s first power play almost 12 minutes into the frame, as Josh Doan committed a hooking penalty. The Sabres had a huge question mark over the head of their penalty kill after their first game, but they answered the bell on their first opportunity of the game, though Luukkonen did have to make a really nice save in tight as the Blackhawks power play expired.
A flurry of chances, highlighted by Helenius being denied on a shot in tight off a behind the net feed by McLeod, still couldn’t give the Sabres the lead, though the constant pressure did give them their first power play of the game.
As has been the case for the past two seasons, the power play killed the momentum for the Sabres, as Thompson single handedly killed zone pressure on three separate occasions, one of which led to a breakaway that Luukkonen had to stop. The second unit got a nice look, but as the power play expired, the Blackhawks found themselves on a two-on-one rush with McLeod as the only Sabre back. Oliver Moore, who came out of the penalty box, made no mistake, as Luukkonen was unable to get enough to keep the puck out of the net, giving the Blackhawks the lead back, 3-2.
It’s a save the Sabres’ goalie could have made, but it was yet another opportunistic play by the Blackhawks, who preferred quality over quantity in this game, particularly in the period, where they only mustered four shots on goal.
Lock In and Lock Down
The third period started with an early Sabres power play, as local villain Kane found himself in the box, but as it stands there is no more efficient way to protect a lead than to give the Sabres a power play.
The Sabres then spent most of the third period attempting to carry the puck into the Blackhawks’ zone, only for them to get met at the blue line and have to chase the puck back. However, the breakthrough finally happened, off the stick of the captain, Rasmus Dahlin, thanks to a nice feed from Peyton Krebs on a counter-rush. Dahlin took the pass in the high slot and sniped it home to tie it up for the Sabres again.
The Sabres would have another great chance a few minutes later as Quinn found himself all alone in front of the net after Benson broke up a play at center ice to set him up. Quinn however slid the puck wide, unable to give the Sabres their first lead of the game.
While it looked like the Sabres would get a late chance on the power play, as Cole Smith found himself in the box for tripping, Benson would answer with a tripping penalty of his own to put it at a four on four. Thankfully, this is advantageous for the Sabres.
At the end of a shift, Thompson and Kulich found themselves on a two-on-one, and while Kulich couldn’t bury the shot, he would get another chance. The puck found Owen Power, who found Kulich yet again, who made no mistake on his second opportunity, giving the Sabres the lead, 4-3, with his first of the season, with just 6:40 left on the clock.
After taking the lead, the team locked in defensively, allowing the Blackhawks just one shot on goal after taking the lead.
Wrap Up
All in all, it was a bit of a sloppy game from the Sabres, but they were able to rally against an opponent that was missing their best forward and defenseman. But, they don’t ask how, they ask how many, and a number in the left column is exactly what the Sabres needed.
Other notes
There were a few interesting lineup changes near the end of the game. Metsa played just one shift in the third period, and McLeod was flipped to the fourth line with Carrick and Beck Malenstyn. The group of them did not see the ice after taking the lead. Kulich was bumped up to play with Krebs and Helenius, who contributed to what would be the game winning goal.
On Kulich, he was clearly very emotional in his post game interview. It had to be a nice moment for him, from thinking he may never play hockey again to scoring a game winner. It should be the first of many he scores over the rest of his NHL career.
Bowen Byram will have to wait for his Buffalo homecoming moment, as he missed the game tending to a family matter.