Score: Sabres 5 | Senators 1
Shots: OTT 38 | BUF 34
Buffalo Sabres Goals: JJ Peterka (5-PP, 6-PP), Bowen Byram (2, 3), Tage Thompson (8)
Ottawa Senators Goals: Ridly Greig (2)
Plus-1: A Great First Period
Jordan Greenway, who has been a solid asset to Buffalo so far this season (again), facilitated some physical excitement early in the opening period. After a “bulldozer” of a hit along the boards (thank you for the verbiage, Dan Dunleavy), the forward found himself in a fight with fellow winger Brady Tkachuk. Was it the best hockey fight fans have ever seen? No, but it certainly got people on their feet as we move through another slow start to another season. It also got the Sabres on the power play first and what’s even more fun…on the board first, thanks to JJ Peterka. The puck was buried after Tage Thompson won the faceoff in the Sens’ zone. Peterka moved quick with a neat wrister off the left shoulder of goaltender – and former Sabre – Linus Ullmark. More chances followed along with a penalty kill as the clock dwindled down and the first intermission commenced. Shout out to Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen, too, for keeping the score 1-0 with a tough save late in the period.
Bowen Byram then made it 2-0 in the first 17 seconds into the second period thanks to some textbook passing by Ryan McLeod who found Byram on the left side of Ullmark. While this lead lasted for some time, Buffalo seemed to fade offensively and it was Ottawa’s period for the most part. The visitors were able to cut the lead in half as the horn sounded for the second intermission.
Plus-2: Foot On the Gas
Ottawa put themselves in a nice position to tie after a pretty solid second period, but, for once, the Sabres put their foot back on the proverbial gas and the goals kept coming. First, right off the opening faceoff, it was McLeod who got the puck in position to Byram, whose shot dribbled slowly through Ullmark’s pads to extend the Sabres’ lead to two goals just 21 seconds into the third period. Would you even believe Buffalo would make it 4-1 just mere seconds later? Some offensive pressure paired with a collision in front of Ottawa’s net helped Alex Tuch swat the puck in past Ullmark yet again, though Tage Thompson was given credit for the goal.
Plus-3: Peterka on the PP!
Peterka added another power play goal to his resume, his second of the night helping to keep moving the team’s man-advantage woes in the right direction. Some simple, but effective cross-ice passing helped Peterka bury another one to give the Sabres a 5-1 lead, which is how the game would end.
Final Thoughts
For once, there was little to nitpick as Buffalo gave fans the game they deserved after losing their last three. They were two-for-four on the power play (thankyou, Peterka!) and several forwards shined along with Luukkonen in net. There was even another fight between quite a few players in the final minutes of regulation following a slash on Zach Benson. Tkachuk and Sabres defenseman Dennis Gilbert dropped gloves in a great conclusion to a fun game.
Next up: Buffalo heads to New York to face the Rangers (8-2-1) on Thursday at 7:00 PM.
Three Stars:
1. Bowen Byram (2G, +1)
2. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (38 SA, 1 GA)
3. JJ Peterka (2G, 1A0)