BUFFALO, N.Y. — Many keep asking me what’s different about the Sabres this season. I can start with the last two games. Buffalo was awful against the Rangers, but still managed to eek out a point from the game. On Saturday, they were so-so, but still found a way to get a win in the shootout.
Last season they probably would’ve left both those games with no points instead of picking up three. The Sabres are 4-1-2 in their last seven games and have gotten points in six out of seven games. They also have no regulation losses in their last four games going 3-0-1.
One thing that had driven me crazy about this team for years is they have very few players that will stand in front of the net. Most want to play a perimeter game and you don’t win playing that kind of hockey.
Devils goalie Scott Wedgewood started the season as New Jersey’s third goalie. The former Rochester American was pressed into action after Corey Crawford retired and Mackenzie Blackwood wound up on the COVID-19 list.
With the Sabres best net front presence Sam Reinhart injured, Wedgewood may have had the easiest 40 minutes of his career on Saturday afternoon. He saw all the shots and was never bothered.
That changed when Jack Eichel was in the locker room after getting hit in the mouth with a puck. Ralph Krueger replaced Eichel on the power play with one of the strongest men in the National Hockey League and Rasmus Ristolainen went straight to the net and pretty much sat in Wedgewood’s lap. Victor Olofsson was set up alone on the slot and all he had to do was pick a corner, because Wedgewood couldn’t see a thing.
This is something Krueger did a few times last season with pretty good success.
This was a game where penalty killing was also key. Yes, the Devils did score a power play goal going 1-for-5 with the man advantage, but a huge turning point in this game came 12:15 in when Eric Staal and Brandon Montour took penalties giving New Jersey a full two-minute 5-on-3 advantage.
Ristolainen, Jake McCabe and Curtis Lazar did such a good job of killing it off that the Devils didn’t even get a shot on goal. Had New Jersey scored once or twice on that 5-on-3, the game would’ve changed drastically. Krueger said by killing it off, it’s almost like scoring a goal.
The Sabres have had two, two-game series in a row where they’ve taken three out of four points. Once they’ve been 1-1 and the other time they were swept by Washington. Buffalo has the opportunity to get its first sweep of the season with a win on Sunday afternoon.
In order to keep all this up though they are going to have to get back to playing like they did earlier this season. Play just so-so will catch up to them very soon.