Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – For the first time all season, the Buffalo Sabres have a three-game winning streak after they went toe-to-toe with the Carolina Hurricanes and won, 3-2 in a shootout.
Both teams had 32 shots in the game, and it was a game the Sabres fell behind in twice. However, they found a way to win against a team that was 16-2-0 against them in the last 18 games they had played.
In my mind, it was essential for Buffalo to keep Carolina’s leading scorer and noted Sabres killer, Sebastian Aho, off the scoreboard. Coming into the game, Aho had 15 goals and 13 assists for 28 points in 18 career games against the Sabres.
Buffalo kept him quiet and he was never really dangerous, leaving Sunday night with no points and just one shot on goal.
Carolina got the only goal of the first period, and Jeff Skinner had a rebound off a Dylan Cozens power play shot for the only goal of the second. Skinner now has seven goals and six assists for 13 points in 13 games against his old team.
Rasmus Dahlin took two-consecutive penalties in the third period, and Martin Necas connected on the second one to make it 2-1, Carolina.
The fans and the Sabres were furious with the calls, but I thought both were right. On the first one, Dahlin went flying, but he initiated the contact. On the second, both he and the defender had their lanes and Dahlin just barreled into goalie Spencer Martin. Yes, Dahlin had nowhere to go, but the defender had position and Dahlin can’t take out the goalie.
Honestly, I wouldn’t complain if I were his coach, because I would love the fact he’s attacking the net like that.
Usually, if the Hurricanes take the lead with 5:18 left in the game, they’ll lock it down and you're sunk. However, just 1:13 later, Zach Benson causes a turnover, Peyton Krebs calmly surveys the slot and sees Owen Power attack by himself, and Power scores to send the game to overtime.
The first game Krebs played with Benson and JJ Peterka didn’t go well, but every game since then, the 23-year-old has been a force.
Early in overtime, Tage Thompson continued his dominant play with a breakaway, but Martin poke-checked the puck away.
Through three rounds of the shootout, neither team had scored. Power got an opportunity, because coming in he was 2-for-2 in shootouts.
It’s good he went, because Casey Mittelstadt was the fourth shooter and he said he stole what Power did. The only difference was he studied how Martin played Power and knew how he could beat him.
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Last year, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had all sorts of trouble in the shootout. He couldn’t make a save. The difference on Sunday was stunning.
Just the vibe he gave off as the Carolina shooters came in was, "You are not going to score." They didn’t.
By winning three-straight games and five out of seven, Buffalo is now ahead of the Montreal Canadiens and within two points of the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders.
The Sabres are three points back of the Washington Capitals and four behind the New Jersey Devils. If they stay hot, they can get by those clubs, and get to ninth place.
It’s getting to the playoff spot that’s tough.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are 11 points ahead of the Sabres for the second Wild Card spot, and the Detroit Red Wings are 12 points in front for the other Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
That, folks, is going to take an 8-to-10-game winning streak.
Coming up are the Florida Panthers, Lightning, Vegas Golden Knights, Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Nashville Predators, Edmonton Oilers, Red Wings, Islanders, Detroit again, Seattle Kraken, Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton again.
Tuesday’s game in Sunrise, Florida is a radio only game on WGR Sports Radio 550.
