Elmont, N.Y. (WGR 550) – The Buffalo Sabres lost to the New York Islanders on Saturday, 3-2.
The refereeing in this game was horrendous, which is normal when we’re talking about the NHL. I’m not for one second saying the referees lost this game for the Sabres, but some bad mistakes by the refs could’ve changed the score.
In the first period, Brock Nelson scored when he was all alone in front of Devon Levi. The reason he was wide-open is an absolutely inexcusable missed call. Connor Clifton came back into his own zone and was in good shape with the puck. In came Pierre Engvall and blatantly tripped Clifton with his leg taking him off the puck and out of the play.
It’s about as easy of a call there is, and two refs missed it? It led directly to a Grade-A scoring chance and a goal.
You can’t say that cost the Sabres the game, because you don’t know what would’ve happened if it was called. Maybe on the power play, Buffalo scores and takes a 1-0 lead? We don’t know, but what I do know is that call can’t be missed.
It wasn't missed just moments earlier when Peyton Krebs did it, which was the correct call.
Another puck got past Levi after hitting Clifton’s leg, so for the second-straight game, the Sabres got behind 2-0 in the opening period of play.
For the second season in-a-row, the game-winning goal in a 3-2 game between the Sabres and Islanders on Long Island was controversial.
Last season, Hudson Fasching got a goal that many felt should’ve been disallowed due to a distinct kicking motion. This time around, Casey Cizikas tipped in a shot from the point that many felt was a high stick. It was reviewed in Toronto and deemed a good goal.
After that, Sabres head coach Don Granato challenged that Noah Dobson entered the zone skating backwards without possession of the puck. The linesmen looked at that and ruled he had possession.
Possession is such a grey area, because some will have different definitions.
The Sabres finally snapped out of it in the second period by improving their breakouts and getting in on the forecheck. Casey Mittelstadt and his linemates, Jordan Greenway and Zach Benson, were tenacious in what they did, and were rewarded twice.
Benson got his first NHL point when he forced a turnover in the neutral zone, got the puck in, and found Mittelstadt in traffic, who in hit Greenway going full speed to the net to make it 2-1.
Mittelstadt tied it with a nice backhand after Benson got hammered by Matt Martin. Benson got right back up, kicked the puck in front to Mittelstadt to make it 2-2.
If you want to bottom line this, starting the season 0-2, Buffalo has gotten nothing from Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, Jeff Skinner and Dylan Cozens. With those players totally silent, they aren't going to have near enough goals. Those players are counted on to produce, and through two games, they haven’t.
I thought Levi made some great saves in this game and kept the Sabres in it when they weren’t playing well.
After an excellent preseason, Henri Jokiharju is, once again, starting the season poorly. It’s something he’s done every year since he arrived from the Chicago Blackhawks, and he has to get it figured out a lot earlier than Thanksgiving.
The Sabres are now home for a bit, starting on Tuesday with the Tampa Bay Lightning coming to town.
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