The Buffalo Sabres are looking like one of the more dominant teams in the National Hockey League after their 3-0 victory over the Florida Panthers. Two of the three stars of the game for the Sabres wereThomas Vanek who had two goals and Ryan Miller who had a 22 save shutout. The Sabres looked like the better team throughout this game and most of the numbers from the game. They outshot the Panthers 38-22 and stayed disciplined by giving up only one power play chance.
Buffalo got the scoring started in the second period with Thomas Vanek’s first goal of the night, a tipped shot in front of the net off a Jason Pominville shot. The second Buffalo goal came from Jason Pominville, who was able to capitalize on a pass from Ville Leino in front of the net. This goal was everything that Sabres fans are looking for out of Leino, who wrestled the puck from Keaton Ellerby along the boards and was able to find Pominville streaking toward the net:
The third Sabres goal just came from a booming Vanek slapshot on the power play. The two goals have now given Vanek six goals on the season, one goal off the league lead held by Toronto’s Phil Kessel and Pittsburgh’s James Neal. Vanek was happy with the team win and said as much after the game, according to the Buffalo News’ John Vogl:
“A win like that definitely feels like a more of a team win,” said Vanek, who sent the announced crowd of 14,811 toward the exits with 2:29 left when he scored on the power play. “That’s more the type of hockey we want to play.”
The Florida Panthers have now been shutout for two straight games and new head coach Kevin Dineen is not happy with the way his team is performing lately, from George Richards of the Miami Herald:
“I don’t think we tried hard enough,” coach Kevin Dineen said flatly. “There are a lot of little things that go on during the course of a game. .-.-. That’s six periods in a row that we showed little snapshots here and there, but we’re a far way away from where we were four or five days ago. We need to address that and soon. .-.-. We got outworked in our home building and that has some sting to it. It’s the first time for a lot of us who are new here. It’s got to stop right now.”
The Sabres will now head to Tampa to take on the Lightning and will attempt to keep the new Tesla coils in the St. Pete Times Forum silent.