Nov

2

One bad period can spell disaster and end a game before it gets going. The first 20 minutes of the game were pretty promising, with a lot of scoring opportunities and amazing pass perception. Unfortunately, it does seem like the Sabres are on a weak scoring run because the puck usually dances in front of the net, but never actually makes it in. Frustrating, to say the least! What was even worse was the second period. Rob Ray paraphrased it perfectly: “Somebody better call the police, because someone stole our D” (MSG Broadcast). Indeed, the defense seemed almost non-existant at points. Jocelyn Thibault made his second start of the season, and did a relatively nice job of stopping what he could. Little support from the other players let the Panthers pounce on the net and race ahead to four goals, which would lead to their eventual win. What we need are some more defense-minded forwards, as well as players to find ways to capitalize on the scoring chances. Adam Mair and Paul Gaustad both gave a little hope with two separate fights, showing that Buffalo has a lot of fire left in their game. Jochen Hecht and Thomas Vanek scored for the Sabres, but it was too little to secure a win. One of the few good things about the game was that no penalties were taken, aside from the 5 minute fighting majors. It appears that staying out of the penalty box is not the way to win, contrary to previous speculation.

The Sabres will next play on Monday, November 5, at 7:30 PM against the Montreal Canadiens. The weekend should give the team time to re-group and return to the simplified gameplay that has been their winning trademark. Tonight may have been disappointing, but Buffalo should focus on the more important theme of future wins.


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