Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – After a slow start on Saturday, the Buffalo Sabres really took it to the New York Rangers. However, for the second time in four games, a goaltender stole the show and the Sabres could only manage getting one point.
With the score tied at 1-1, Buffalo just forechecked the Rangers to death, but reigning Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin was always there.
Late in the third period, Dylan Cozens found himself alone in front of the Rangers net, but was stopped. Right before that, Rasmus Dahlin had a great rush into the offensive zone, dished it to Victor Olofsson, but he couldn’t score with half the net open.
The Sabres got great goaltending from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen on Saturday.
Right after Luukkonen made a huge save on Pat Kane’s one-timer in front, Buffalo came the other way and Tage Thompson made a great move to put Jordan Greenway in alone. However, Shesterkin was big again for New York.
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For 50 minutes, the Sabres were sharp in both ends of the ice. Head coach Don Granato talks about when they’re playing well, they’re coming in waves to support each other, and the Sabres had that down to a tee.
In the final analysis, the hockey Gods weren’t smiling on the Sabres in this game.
When Kane tied the game in the second period, he tried to backhand a puck to the net. The puck hit Owen Power’s skate and went in.
Then in overtime, Cozens lost the opening faceoff and the Rangers had the puck for the full 2:02. Dahlin took a hooking penalty, and Artemi Panarin scored after a puck went off Zemgus Girgensons' stick and right to him.
Buffalo had a goal disallowed in the second period when Shesterkin came out of his crease to clear a puck and gave it right to Tyson Jost. Jost knocked the puck down and put it into the unattended cage.
As it turned out, the puck just came out over the blue line and when Jost knocked it down, Buffalo was changing and the door to the bench is inside the zone. Olofsson was just getting to the door as Jost brought the puck back in. The play was instantly whistled down for an offside, and no goal was called.
Nobody is to blame, nobody did anything wrong. It was just bad luck.
This was a goaltender's battle to the bitter end. Luukkonen stopped 25-of-26 shots faced in the game, while Shesterkin was the reason his team got two points, making 32 saves on 33 shots.
How Luukkonen didn’t get a star in this game is beyond me. There’s no question he should’ve been the second star right behind the Rangers' netminder.
This was a huge bounce back game for the Sabres after they got demolished in their own building by the Dallas Stars on Thursday, 10-4.
If the Sabres played more like that this season, we wouldn’t be talking about them tumbling out of the playoff race. They’d be entrenched in it.
