(WGR 550) – I don’t know if it was a hunch or wanting to play the veteran goalie, but Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato sure made the right decision starting Craig Anderson on Friday against the Florida Panthers.
Anderson was originally credited with 53 saves on Friday night, but is now only credited with 49 saves to help Buffalo to a crucial 3-1 win in South Florida.
In 46 minutes of work on Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Anderson stopped 17-of-18 shots, giving him 70 saves on 72 shots in two games.
The veteran netminder made 26 saves alone in the third period, including a breakaway by Matthew Tkachuk, Brandon Montour alone in front, and consecutive saves on Carter Verhaeghe and Anthony Duclair.
As good as Anderson was, this wasn’t solely his show. I think the Sabres were good in transition, especially in the first 40 minutes, and put a lot of stress on the Panthers defense.
The Sabres even survived a goal being taken away on an offside challenge, but they didn’t seem to let it bother them.
As good as Tage Thompson was in Tampa Bay on Thursday night, where he scored a hat-trick, he was just as good on Friday, picking up three assists.
Thompson is on a five-game point streak that has seen him score four goals and five assists for nine points.
Jeff Skinner scored two goals, including beating Sergei Bobrovsky over his shoulder on, what looked like, almost an impossible shot from a bad angle. Skinner is also on a five-game point streak, scoring four goals and four assists for eight points.
Alex Tuch got the other goal on Friday, and now has 28 on the season.
Anderson was able to hold down the fort until 8:24 of the third period when Verhaeghe netted Florida’s only goal.
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I’m trying to wrap my head around Florida getting credit for 23 third period shots and 50 for the game. I certainly wouldn’t say Buffalo got dominated. The Sabres had 33 shots of their own.
All season long, Anderson has gotten rest before each start, but it’s usually five days or more. He was obviously more than ready for this challenge.
I have to say, after the game Tuesday against Toronto, where the Sabres got run out of their own arena, these players went to work and won two games in arenas that they almost never win in. They figured things out, and figured it out quickly.
The Sabres are now 16-3-2 in their last 21 road games, but six of the next eight games are home.
The first one is Sunday afternoon against the Washington Capitals.
These back-to-back wins put the Sabres in the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. If you go by points percentage, Buffalo is seventh and the Detroit Red Wings are eighth.
