Buffalo, NY (WGR 550) - On Monday the Buffalo Sabres played their best and most complete game of the season beating the Edmonton Oilers 5-1.
It starts with Colten Ellis who Lindy Ruff said was “In control” throughout this game. It took five seconds after the opening faceoff for Connor McDavid to set up Zach Hyman alone in the slot and Ellis made what I think was the biggest save of the game. If that goes in, we are probably talking about a different hockey game. That save got the team up off the bench and the fans on their feet. McDavid was hardly heard from the rest of the game as he had one shot, three giveaways and was minus-2.
THe Sabres were so good defending throughout this game and Ellis was so calm as nothing seems to phase him. He made 32 saves, but many of the shots were from distance. He also almost never leaves a rebound around the crease or in the slot.
Yes, the Oilers had 16 third period shots, but again very few were Grade-A opportunities. Ellis’ best save came in the third when he read a play coming cross-ice perfectly and robbed Leon Draisaitl.
Buffalo stayed patient and at 19:03 of the first period on the power play, Isak Rosen found Noah Ostlund off the post and on the goal line. He brought the puck into the crease to make it 1-0.
After Jack Roslovic tied it in the second, Buffalo put the game away with two goals in 1:02. First Tyson Kozak passed up a Grade-A chance in front to pass to Bo Byram in the right circle. The defenseman calmly beat Stuart Skinner who was slow to get over.
Right after that Beck Malenstyn went straight for the net and tipped in a Rasmus Dahlin shot for his first goal of the season. Malenstyn has started to look better recently and with that, I expect to see more greasy goals from him.
Peyton Krebs was made to answer for a clean, but hard check on McDavid and was game to take on the bigger and stronger Vasily Podkolzin. Krebs will NEVER back down from anything.
Ostlund scored the only goal of the third period giving his line of Malenstyn and Josh Dunne three goals and one assist for four points on the night.
McDavid threw a drop pass to Tage Thompson who netted the empty netter. In his last five games Thompson has four goals and three assists for seven points.
The Sabres have now won two in a row and have a points percentage of .474. That ties them with the Toronto Maple Leafs for last in the Eastern Conference, four points out of a playoff spot. The team is 28th in the National Hockey League with team No. 32, the Calgary Flames coming to town on Wednesday.