Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – The Buffalo Sabres picked a really good time to get their second three-game winning streak of the season. In the process, they pulled to within three points of the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Wins over the Islanders on Thursday, Red Wings on Tuesday and Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, the Sabres have gotten closer with 15 games to play in the season.
Buffalo travels to Detroit for a Saturday afternoon game, looking for its first four-game winning streak of the season.
The Sabres have also won five of their last six games at home.
Buffalo started fast, and pretty much played the whole first period in the offensive zone. The line of Peyton Krebs, Jeff Skinner and JJ Peterka set the tone, and it was immediately followed by Tyson Jost, Eric Robinson and Victor Olofsson.
It took the Islanders 10:15 to get their first shot on Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, and the Sabres were out shooting them, 8-1.
Buffalo didn’t score on any of their 13 shots in the opening period, but by playing in the offensive zone and getting in fast to win battles, they started to tire out the Islanders' defense.
This was the second game in-a-row the Sabres played a team coming back from the West Coast. Buffalo played hard and fast to take advantage, outscoring the two teams, 11-3.
Luukkonen made 21 saves to record his fifth shutout of the season. That’s good for third in the NHL. He's only one behind the NHL leaders.
The 25-year-old had to make some big saves throughout the night on Mat Barzal, but he was pretty much the only dangerous Islanders player in the game.
Buffalo scored three goals in 5:13 of the second period to get out to a 3-0 lead.
Peterka was able to thread a cross-ice pass to Olofsson, who was on a bad angle, but scored because he was willing to shoot the puck. Ilya Sorokin, who was stellar in the first period, didn’t get over to the post before Olofsson shot it, and the puck went in.
Just 3:47 later, Sorokin kicked Connor Clifton’s shot out to the slot, where Dylan Cozens made no mistake to make it 2-0, Buffalo.
Jordan Greenway just works hard all game, and he was the reason for goal No. 3 for the Sabres. He got in front of Sorokin to set up a screen, and the Islanders goalie never saw Zach Benson tip home Henri Jokiharju’s shot from the point.
Benson scored the empty-netter to give him five points in his last two games.
Bo Byram registered an assist on Thursday to give him five points in four games with the Sabres.
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Detroit has now lost seven-straight games, including a loss on home ice Thursday to the Arizona Coyotes. You would think they’d be angry after Buffalo scored seven on them Tuesday.
This game was just a very solid effort, as the Sabres were fast on pucks and competed extremely hard to win battles.
Since Jan. 1, there haven’t been too many nights anymore that we’re talking about the team not competing. It’s been there most nights, and it has produced a points percentage of .603, which is good for 13th in the NHL.
