Buffalo Sabres Weekly Three Stars: November 24
Last week saw a couple of interesting things happen for the Buffalo Sabres. First, one of their players – Patrick Kaleta – was unable to report to a game due to the fact that he was snowed in his house. Yes, that was legitimately the reason for his scratch, even listed in the official game reports. A few days later, the team had its game against the New York Rangers postponed, and as a result, had a bit of its future schedule moved around to accommodate this change.
Despite all the craziness, the Buffalo Sabres played two games in the past week, and managed to come out victorious in both. The Buffalo Sabres are now on a three-game winning streak, with the team’s last loss coming way back on November 13.
Last week saw the Buffalo Sabres kick things off with a decisive 4-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks at First Niagara Center on Tuesday. The team was supposed to host the Rangers on Friday, but that game was postponed, so the other game of the week was a 2-1 win over the Capitals in Washington on Saturday.
So who were the standout players for the Buffalo Sabres last week?
First up: Buffalo Sabres captain Brian Gionta. The right winger had four points in two games last week, starting off with a three-point effort against the San Jose Sharks.
More from Sabres News
- 3 biggest standouts at Buffalo Sabres 2023 Prospects Challenge
- 3 takeaways from the Buffalo Sabres final Prospects Challenge game
- Buffalo Sabres experiment with lesser-known talent in loss to Pens
- Buffalo Sabres 75 Bold Predictions for 2023-24: Prediction 51
- Buffalo Sabres vs. Pittsburgh: A quick look at the Penguins prospects
He ended the week with a plus-4 and just over 26 minutes of ice time. Four shots, one hit and one takeaway made it overall a solid week for the Rochester native. Can he continue his point streak and make it three consecutive games on Wednesday against the Jets?
Another star this week goes to center Torrey Mitchell. Through the pair of games last week, Mitchell had just one goal, but it was an important one, as he scored the game-winner on Saturday against the Capitals.
Mitchell made an impact in other ways, too. He was a plus-4 in the two games, had 28 minutes and 43 seconds of ice time, and overall had five shots on goal. Mitchell also had a pair of hits, three takeaways and one blocked shot.
The final star this week goes to goaltender Jhonas Enroth. Michal Neuvirth started Tuesday’s game against the Sharks, but Enroth was forced to step in after Neuvirth suffered a lower body injury. He then stopped 19 of 20 shots faced in the remainder of the game – just over 34 minutes – to help the Buffalo Sabres grab the eventual win.
Enroth also played in Saturday’s 2-1 win over the Capitals, stopping 43 shots. He received third star honors on NHL.com for his stellar performance. Though it’s unclear who will play on Wednesday, with Neuvirth seemingly ready to return from injury, Enroth gave a solid show in the games this past week.
Honorable mention goes to Brian Flynn this week. Despite being scratched for multiple games at the beginning of the year, Flynn is making his way up the ranks, racking up 29:01 ice time in the pair of games last week. He had one goal, one assist and was a plus-3 with a pair of shots and a pair of hits.
Weather-permitting, this week will see the Buffalo Sabres play a trio of games, including a pair against the Montreal Canadiens. First up, the Winnipeg Jets come to town for a Wednesday night tilt. The Habs and Sabres will then face off in a home-and-home on Friday (in BUF) and Saturday (in MTL). All three games begin at 7 p.m.