Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – The Buffalo Sabres looked like they had energy during Thursday’s 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
After flying home from Seattle on Wednesday, the team changed up their morning skate and found the energy to get 45 shots on Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault. However, the Sabres still lost thanks to a late screen shot from Josh Anderson.
As good a s Buffalo was offensively, they still allowed too much in their end, as Eric Comrie saw 34 shots on goal.
Brendan Gallagher scored an even luckier goal in the first period when his shot was stopped by Comrie, but the rebound hit Owen Power’s skate and went into the net.
Buffalo got one screened goal by Dylan Cozens to tie the game at 2-2 at the 12:54 mark of the third period. However, Cozens was disappointed overall, because he thought they needed more bodies around the net to get some greasy goals.
“We tried to pass the puck into the net, and we needed to be content to score an ugly goal by getting people to the net and finding a rebound," said Sabres head coach Don Granato, agreeing with Cozens.
He was right, as it seemed like Montembeault was able to see most of the shots coming his way.
Granato feels that his group got away from what their identity should be after Cozens had tied the game.
“We tied it up, but something we’ve talked about for a year-and-a-half here, playing with no fear or hesitation," Granato said. "We backed off, and that’s very uncharacteristic, specifically defensively. Gave up time and space, and we weren’t assertive enough.”
Tage Thompson has one goal this year, but on this night, he had eight shots and 12 shot attempts. He had quite a few one-timers from the left circle on the power play, but he seems to be a split-second off this season.
Last year, the goalies wouldn’t make it over to get set for Thompson's one-timer. This year, with the exception of one shot, goalies are there and squared up for his shot.
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Jeff Skinner felt good that he was finally able to score his first goal of the season as a power play was just about to end. He made a nice move to the net, and up into the top of the net the puck went.
Montreal is supposed to be one of the worst teams in the NHL, and Comrie felt it was unacceptable for him to lose that game. Even though two lucky goals got by him, he wasn’t having it. He felt he was brought here to win games, and said that’s a game they need to win.
Simply put, Comrie felt he didn’t get it done.
It only took two games to go from everybody feeling great about a 4-1-0 team to some feeling like it’s the same old Sabres, which, in my opinion, isn’t even close to right.
You hate to see the Sabres lose to a team like Montreal, especially when the effort is there, but facts are facts, and there are times in this league when the schedule plays against you. They were on the road for 10 days, playing four games, and then had to fly back and play right away.
If you think that’s easy, then you have no concept of reality.
Yes, the game was right there for the Sabres to win and they should’ve won it, but the season is not over.
Do they absolutely need to get it straightened out before a two-game losing streak becomes a five-games losing streak? Absolutely, because if they don’t, they’ll be out of the race by Thanksgiving once again.
