Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - If the Buffalo Sabres want to improve enough to make the playoffs, they need to play like they did in Tuesday’s 5-1 win over the Ottawa Senators.
If the league wants to sell its game, that game is exactly what would bring fans back for more.
Both the Sabres and Senators were physical, fast, and there were goals and big saves. It was just a fun hockey game to watch.
The physicality came right from the start.
This Sabres team wasn’t going to back down, as just 5:59 into the game, Jordan Greenway made it known. He absolutely demolished Senators center Tim Stutzle with a very clean body check, and, of course, in these days of the NHL, you must be held accountable for clean hits.
Senators captain Brady Tkachuk showed up to fight Greenway. Tkachuk was even dumber, because he got the extra two minutes for starting the fight and gave the Sabres a power play.
On the ensuing man advantage opportunity, Buffalo did what you need to do: Make them pay.
Jason Zucker won a battle behind the net, and made a slick pass to JJ Peterka, who was on a bit of a bad angle. He did what he’s done a few times before, by banking in the puck off goalie Linus Ullmark for the early lead.
Following Tuesday's morning skate, Lindy Ruff said he needs a few more big saves at timely points of the game from his goalies. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen proved his head coach right.
First, Luukkonen stopped Nick Jensen, who pounced on an open rebound, but just after that, Josh Norris bumped Tage Thompson off the puck, and Luukkonen brought the bench and the crowd to its feet with a huge save on Noah Gregor off a 2-on-0 rush.
That allowed Buffalo to go into the first intermission with the lead.
It only took 17 seconds into the second period for Buffalo to get that second goal, which is something they haven’t been good at this season.
Sabres defenseman Bo Byram made a great read, sneaking in back door through the right circle, and center Ryan McLeod, who was on the left wing wall, sent a perfect cross-ice saucer pass for the goal.
Buffalo made some poor puck decisions in the second period, and it gave Ottawa life.
Leading by a goal, Ruff told them if they just get rid of those decisions, they will be just fine. It’s exactly what they did.
It took Buffalo longer to score to open the third period, but not by much. This time, just 21 seconds into the final frame, Byram just put a puck at the net. The Sabres had players all around Ullmark, who mishandled the puck and it was 3-1.
Just 16 seconds after that, Thompson went to the net and brought some Senators with him. Jake Sanderson pushed Thompson into Ullmark, and the schmazle was on. Alex Tuch banked the puck in off of Thompson’s glove as he was laying on the goal line, and the Sabres center had his eighth goal of the season.
Thompson also has points in nine of his last 10 games.
Peterka added the Sabres' second power play goal of the night with a one-timer from the right circle, using a Zucker screen.
In their last five games, Buffalo is 5-for-17 with the extra man. That’s 29.4%, which is sixth in the NHL during that time period.
Related
Thompson and Peterka combined for 17 shots in this game. They also had 22 total shot attempts.
Ruff brought defenseman Connor Clifton back into the lineup after benching him for one game. Dennis Gilbert was also back in the lineup for his second game of the season.
Mattias Samuelsson and Henri Jokiharju were both benched on Tuesday night. Ruff says those two players need to raise their standard of play.
Ruff says he’s been more patient with this club than he’s ever been as he tries to figure them out. It seems like his patience has run out.
So now the team travels to New York for a Thursday game with the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
If the Sabres play like they did Tuesday, they will have a good chance to win. As a matter of fact, if they play like this on most nights, they’ll have a very good chance to make the playoffs.
Nothing in the last two seasons has given us any indication they’re capable of playing the way they should on a regular basis. It’s up to them to prove it to themselves, and this fanbase that they can.