(WGR 550) – If you want to know why the Buffalo Sabres swept the season series from the Philadelphia Flyers for the first time in 20 years, just look at the special teams.
In the three games against the Flyers this season, Buffalo was 7-for-10 on the power play, and killed off 10-of-11 penalties.
In Sunday’s 5-3 win in Philadelphia, the Sabres were 2-for-2 with the extra man, with Victor Olofsson scoring both goals.
It’s the second time Olofsson has reached 20 goals in a season, and it gives him 10 goals in his last 18 games.
The best part of the first Olofsson goal was the Flyers were shading towards him, knowing the puck would be coming for a one-timer. After taking the perfect pass from Rasmus Dahlin right in his wheelhouse, he still got the shot through and past goalie Felix Sandstrom.
Buffalo has now won three out of four games as the season winds down.
Related
In both weekend games, the Sabres allowed the Flyers to take control early. Saturday saw Buffalo giving up two goals and having to come back to win.
It only took 1:16 for Buffalo to be on its heels on Sunday, as Kevin Hayes scored to put the Flyers ahead. While it took less time for the Sabres to get to their game in this contest, it did take some key saves by Dustin Tokarski to get Buffalo up ice and on the forecheck.
Anders Bjork looked like the player the Sabres hoped he’d be when they acquired him from the Boston Bruins in the Taylor Hall trade. He was using his speed to cause turnovers, and just missed beating Sandstrom, hitting the far post with a quick one-timer.
However, Bjork didn’t miss when he helped catch the Flyers in a bad change, turning on the jets and getting a perfect breakaway pass from Rasmus Dahlin. Bjork netted his first goal in 28 games.
Buffalo scored four goals in the second period on Saturday, and then added two more on Sunday. That and Philadelphia’s failure on special teams did them in.
Early in the second, there was a huge shemozzle around the Sabres' crease. Owen Power saw the puck was loose and tried to fall on it, as did Henri Jokiharju. The referee didn’t see the puck cross the goal line and called for a penalty shot for covering the puck in the crease.
Replay gave the Flyers the goal, but this Sabres team doesn’t panic or sit back when things don’t go their way.
Before the second was over, Olofsson had another power play goal that Sandstrom got a piece of, but there was just too much juice on it. A short time later, Tage Thompson was allowed to come through the slot again and ripped home another goal, giving Buffalo a two-goal advantage.
Thompson scored the empty netter, which was his 36th of the season, tying Jack Eichel’s career high while with the Sabres. That gives Thompson 13 goals in his last 20 games, which is fourth in the NHL over that span.
Ahead of Thompson only sit Auston Matthews and Kirill Kaprizov, who have 15 goals in that timeframe, and Leon Draisaitl has 16 goals.
There were many portions of this game where Power looked good, but he was on the ice for all three of Philadelphia's goals. Obviously it’s nothing to worry about, as he’s still getting used to the NHL. His overall play so far in four games has been very good.
Buffalo gets Monday off and then two days of practice in Buffalo before leaving for Newark to face the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.
