Oct

6

Last night had all the makings of another excellent season opener. There was a party outside of HSBC Arena, two banners were raised to the rafters, and the Sabres were presented with the Presidents Trophy. Of course, the man carrying the Presidents Trophy slipped and almost fell, which was perfect foreshadowing for what was to come. The fans were amazing, as always, showing why Buffalo is now the new Hockeytown! However, a solid effort from the players throughout the entire game was the true test of the team.

The first period was a perfect way to start off the night. The Sabres came out fighting, and created an energy that traveled with them from one end of the ice to the other. There were some spotty passes and missed opportunities here and there, but it seemed like the team was completely in control. Despite the stellar performance, the score was tied at 3-3 after 20 minutes.

The second period saw that energy starting to fall apart. Things did not seem to flow as nicely together, and a lot of mistakes were being made. Thomas Vanek infused some hope into the struggling team, as he scored on a breakaway pass from Nathan Paetsch on a perfect shot. It was surprising not to hear Jeanneret yelling, “Top shelf, where mama hides the cookies!” The beginning of the end came with about four minutes left. Toni Lydman made a terribe play on a 1-on-1 with Mike Comrie, which resulted in a goal. Patience resulted in some goals, but the defense really needed to calm down and wait for an opportunity, rather than going after the puck. It reminded me of a new player to hockey video games, where defensemen pretty much skate towards the opponents only to tackle them, leaving a bunch of scoring chances unattended. So the period ended at 5-4, and left fans wondering if the playing style from the first period could be revived.

The third period was marred with disasters. No one could get much of anything going, although a lot of the players were trying to. It just seemed like the Islanders were playing better than the Sabres, and had figured out how to stop them. The speed that electrified the building in the first period was virtually dead, and Buffalo’s fate was sealed when Hunter scored a power play goal early in the period for a 6-4 lead over the Sabres.

It was a disappointment, to say the very least. The expectations of Buffalo were not exceptionally high, but it was thought that the season opener would be a fairly easy win. No one can point to one player as the reason for the loss, because it was a team effort. There were a lot of positive aspects that came about early in the game, but many more aspects of the game must be worked on in order for the Sabres to have a successful season. The penalty kill unit was a complete disaster, to put it nicely. The Islanders went 2-for-3 on their power play, and nothing the Sabres did seemed to deter the puck from the net. Miller also was struggling at times, and did not seem his usual self. Defense really needs to step it up a few notches to protect the goaltender and close up on the opponents. Too many times, Islanders waltzed into Buffalo’s zone without a care.

The Sabres’ next game is tonight at 7:00 PM against the New York Islanders. Hopefully they can return the favor of a spoiled home opener!

Game of the Night Recap
Game Summary
NHL Recap
Sabres Notebook
Sabres Recap


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