Buffalo return from successful California hunt with a six-pointer
Score: Buffalo Sabres 4-2 San Jose Sharks
Shots: BUF 31-33 SJS
Buffalo Sabres Goals: Krebs (3), Cozens (4), Tuch (7, SHG), Dahlin (6, ENG)
San Jose Sharks Goals: Zetterlund (8), Kunin (4)
(Heads-up – I went with an overall view style of recap on this one, a bit different than the usual game-flow review format I use.)
Plus 1: Tuch Steals The Puck
Alex Tuch loves stealing the puck. He is such a weapon on the penalty kill as the first line of defense, and can sometimes turn on the jets on an unsuspecting defenseman trying to move the puck from the point. The 28-year-old notched his third short-handed goal of the season – which ended up being the game-winner as well – to tie former Sabre Sam Reinhart in leading the league in that stat. Tuch’s shooting has been nothing short of pristine on those situations.
Often looked down upon by a large segment of the fanbase, Tuch has quietly assumed the scoring mantle especially now that Tage Thompson is out injured. His goal tonight makes it nine in the last six games (getting points in each of those too), and now leads the team in scoring with seven goals and fourteen assists in 21 games. That’s on par to pass his 2022-23 total of 79 points.
By the way, I couldn’t think of a more spot-on way of beating the Sharks than with a shortie while they’re on their powerplay and their fans are doing the cringe-y sharks jaws thing. Lolz.
Minus 1: Outshot, Outfought, Outworked (but not Outdrawn)
The first two periods the Sabres really looked like a team that was playing the second night of a back-to-back, and the third in four nights on the road. The Sharks were hitting everything in a white jersey, and were outshooting the Sabres 28-22, with the chances margin even greater than that. The fatigue looked real, and most of us were already resigned to this being one of those games.
That was only until the second period break, because Lindy Ruff either threatened to tar and hide every one of the players on his shortened bench because the Sabres started the period with their hair on fire and did not look like losing the game once they had grabbed the lead.
Plus 2: Cozens & Krebs shoutouts
The two embattled forwards have been toiling hard without result many a night, but reminded all of their value in the above-ground stats as well with goals each. Peyton Krebs had a goal and was +2 for his 13:41 of icetime, while Dylan Cozens got the tying goal to start up the whole fightback.
The workhorse from Whitehorse ended a four-game barren streak with his goal, a seeing-eye shot that found its way through legs and sticks to beat Blackwood in the Sharks goal. Cousin!
Minus 2: Dahlin penalty
Remember when we were all bemoaning Rasmus Dahlin’s poor start to the season? We debated if the weight of the captaincy was weighing heavily on the youngster’s shoulders. We argued that his offensive output going dry was likely the lingering effects of an injury he’d been playing through.
He’s roared back with a bang since then, 17 points in 13 games going back one calendar month. However, tonight he once again let his spirit get ahead of his brain taking a silly penalty with the Sabres having fought back to 2-2 just five minutes into the third period. Had the Sharks leveled the game during that powerplay we might have been looking at a very different result here. However, that is also the penalty that Tuch scored his shortie on, so I guess it worked out.
The dman somewhat made up for it though with that excellent empty-netter to seal the game with 0.9 seconds left on the clock. A statement that. Dahlin will do some things that might irritate us, but it in no way diminishes the force that he is on the ice.
Plus 3: Reimer.. Winner
I saved the best for last. Playing against one of his former teams, James Reimer made sure that not only was Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen not missed, but also that he marked his Sabres debut with a crucial win to make it three-in-a-row.
Not only that, veteran goaltender made some highlight reel-worthy saves in the process too, watch him stealing Macklin Celebrini’s soul here.
It wasn’t just us either. The goals saved above expected model credited him with a 1.89 (UPL’s number is 6.3 in fourteen games). Rumours of Reimer’s demise may have been greatly exaggerated.
The way he was mobbed by his teammates at the final horn tells you a lot about how popular and how highly regarded he is in this all-too-young locker room. Played his heart out and fully deserved that win.
Final Thoughts
Can’t seem to find the stats on it, but the Sabres come back from a California jaunt unbeaten in goodness knows how many decades. WIVB seems to reference the 2011-12 season, but the Sabres didn’t play the Kings in the same road trip. Anyway, it hasn’t happened since the Ducks joined the league in 1993.
That this was done without their top scoring and defensive forwards makes it even more incredible.
For all the sh*t we’ve given them, the Sabres are sitting in third spot in the division, and in case we might have forgotten because it’s been so dang long, that is an automatic playoff spot the weekend before Thanksgiving. Wow.
My Comment of the Game goes to bdonaghu for his comment about Krebs’ celebration after his leveler.
Pretty interesting how Krebs pointed to his #19 as part of his goal celebration, not sure if it was to chirp the San Jose crowd, or as more of a sign of respect for Jumbo Joe. Or maybe a bit of both.
He honored ‘Jumbo’ Joe Thornton whose ’19’ had just been raised to the rafters at the SAP Center before puck drop, with his wide smile enjoying his own moment in the limelight.