Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - As strange as it sounds, it’s not the good plays that I want to talk about from the Buffalo Sabres' 5-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday. It’s the bad plays and how the team responded.
Leading 2-0, the Sabres played dominant hockey for the first 16 minutes. They then allowed the Detroit forwards to get in on their defense, which widened the gap The Red Wings made it 2-1 before the period was over.
How did Buffalo respond?
Their leader Rasmus Dahlin was active for the first 23 minutes of the game, and he forced a turnover in front of the Detroit bench as they were changing. That led to a layup goal for Tage Thompson.
Just 3:20 into the second period, Buffalo had its two-goal lead back.
Michael Rasmussen parked himself in front of Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, and Dahlin was very weak trying to cover him and he scored. I’m wondering if it had anything to do with his injury that has been hindering him all season, and he didn’t have the strength to compete with Rasmussen in front.
Dahlin then made an ill-advised pass to Thompson on the power play, and Lucas Raymond jumped in and scored a shorthanded goal to tie the game at 3-3. The Sabres could’ve used a big save out of Luukkonen there.
So how did they handle this adversity?
In the past, they would’ve panicked, gotten in their own heads and lost the game. This group is showing that under head coach Lindy Ruff, just maybe they’re mentally tougher.
The team just kept going to the net, like they have during this three-game winning streak. What does that do? It brings the opponent with them, which means instead of no men in around the net, there are four.
Bo Byram banked a shot in off of Alex Lyon, and then Jeff Petry. Petry was there in front of the net with Jack Quinn.
Before the second period was over, the Sabres had their one-goal lead back.
Around 12 minutes into the third period, the Sabres had locked it down, and the shots were 3-2. They ended the period, 6-4, Buffalo, with the best scoring chance against coming with around 50 seconds left when a puck hit skates and legs, and went right to Pat Kane, who hit the post.
Quinn then gathered up the rebound, and scored Buffalo's second empty-net goal in two games.
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All this is what impressed me.
Ruff talks about the one-percenters all over the ice. The huge blocked shot by Beck Malenstyn, or the blocked shots in the last minute by Dylan Cozens and Connor Clifton. That stuff matters! And that’s the stuff that has been missing from this team since before many of your children were born.
With his two goals and three points, Thompson now has 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points in 16 career games against the Red Wings. He’s also on a six-game points streak, scoring six goals and four assists for 10 points.
One of Thompson’s shots hit 104.69 mph, which sent a rebound out to Jason Zucker, who then connected on Buffalo’s first power play goal of the season. Thompson left the game third in NHL goal scoring with seven goals, but there are still plenty of games to be played on Saturday night.
Owen Power extended his point streak to four games, picking up six points.
Buffalo now has 27 goals in their last six games, going 4-1-1. That’s 4.5 goals per-game, which is second in the NHL during that time period.
Luukkonen played in his third-straight game. He certainly wasn’t awful, but also wasn’t his best.
It wouldn’t shock me if Devon Levi gets back in net Monday against the Florida Panthers, who he beat, 5-2, two weeks ago.