Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – It's stories like what we got Monday night that makes the job I have so rewarding.
Michael Houser hadn’t played a professional hockey game since March 7, 2020, and had never played in a National Hockey League game in his life. Houser played 65 American Hockey League games in his first two season of pro hockey, and then only had eight more in the next six years.
The Sabres already had five goalies start a game for them this season, but injuries to three of them and personal reasons for Dustin Tokarski put 28-year-old Michael Houser in the Buffalo net.
The kid took a deep breath and only need one minute to make his first NHL save against the New York Islanders. It was a shot from the left point from Nick Leddy that he easily kicked to the corner. Houser was so steady, and made some big early saves on Anthony Beauvillier in the slot, and even got fortunate when a Brock Nelson shot hit the crossbar.
It took an Adam Pelech shot to go in off of Henri Jokiharju’s stick to beat Houser the first time on Monday. You know what I always say: Either block the shot or get out of the way and let your goaltender handle it.
The Islanders just went about their business and do what they do. Another Pelech shot was tipped in by Oliver Wahlstrom, and the Islanders had a 2-0 lead halfway through the game.
No team in the NHL is better at taking the air out of a game and protecting a lead as the Islanders. All season long in six games, they had done it to perfection against Buffalo.
Semyon Varlamov was in net, working on three-straight shutouts and a shutout streak of over 213 minutes.
A funny thing happened on the way to the end of the second period: Buffalo fought back. They didn’t allow New York to swarm them. They made Mathew Barzal pretty much a non-factor.
They also had some luck on their side.
Will Borgen pushed Casey Cizikas into Houser, knocking him out of the crease as Andy Greene's shot from the point went in. Honestly, I would not have challenged this, because Borgen clearly pushed Cizikas into his goalie. However, Don Granato did and he won the challenge, wiping the goal off the board. It was a key factor in this game.
Tage Thompson returned to the Casey Mittelstadt line and took complete advantage.
Starting with the second period, Thompson was hard to handle inside the offensive zone. Granato said the winger played a north-south game and he dominated. On a power play opportunity with 5:56 to go in the period, Thompson got the puck in the right circle and ripped one past Varlamov, ending his shutout streak at 248 minutes.
It was important to only be behind one goal after 40 minutes.
The Islanders usually choke you to death with the lead, but Buffalo had its feet moving and had 14 shots in the second period, then 17 more in the third.
The Islanders never lose coming into the third period with a lead, but that streak is over too. Houser was strong, making 15 saves of his own in the period, and also had the post and the crossbar on his side too.
Sam Reinhart is having the best season of his career, and he took this game over in the final 20 minutes.
In 19 games since being switched to center, Reinhart has seven goals and three assists for 10 points. He has six goals and three assists for nine points playing from the wing. Overall, that’s 13 goals and six assists for 19 points in 19 games.
Reinhart's 25 goals ties a career high, and that's in just 51 games. Reinhart had 25 goals in the 2017-18 season, but that was in 82 games. This season, he’s on a pace for 40 goals in 82 games.
In this game, Reinhart did a great job of keeping a play alive in the left circle, and then sending a backhand pass across the crease to Rasmus Asplund to tie the game at 2-2.
Then, with just 4:04 left in regulation time, Reinhart won a big faceoff from Barzal and went straight to the net. Barzal just stood and watched him, and Reinhart screened Varlamov and tipped in Rasmus Ristolainen’s shot from the right point. Reinhart also scored the empty-net goal.
Houser was just brilliant throughout, making 34 saves to leave the arena with his first NHL win. His teammates absolutely mobbed him after the win.
“It felt a little sloppy in the beginning, which was to be expected, I think," Houser said in his postgame comments. "I just felt a little bit loose, which goes hand-in-hand with not playing for so long, but I told myself this afternoon just battle. Just find the puck and fight for your ice and stay with the play.”
Houser said that practicing and playing in games are two different animals.
“I’m not really in that great of game shape either, so I’ll admit that," he said. "After the game, celebrating and everything, I could barely breath. So I’m just trying to catch my breath.”
Tokarski is away from the team having to deal with a family issue, so Houser will be back in goal Tuesday against the Islanders.
***Photo: Micheline Michaelina (@MiMiV4682)
