Buffalo Sabres Take Nashville Predators To 65 Minutes Of Hockey

The Buffalo Sabres are running on fumes at this point in the season.  There is really nothing to play for, other than future contracts.  That is exactly the message that Ted Nolan has given his players, play well so that you might be traded.

Now that isn’t to say that Ted Nolan wants to see all of his players traded, but realistically, your playing for one of two things at this point in the Buffalo Sabres season, your playing to prove that you are going to be part of this team in the future, or your playing as part of a audition for another team to be interested in trading for you.

Tonight the Buffalo Sabres did that for 65 minutes and took the number one team in the league to a shootout.  Now the Nashville Predators were playing their backup goaltender in Carter Hutton, and likely brought their B game, but when your not running away with the top spot in the National Hockey League, can you really afford to give the Buffalo Sabres that much leeway?

The one Buffalo Sabres player that is making the most out of the show me what you can do for someone else, is the games first star in my opinion, and that is Michal Neuvirth.

Michal Neuvirth wants to be a number one goaltender, and he might not get that chance in Buffalo, especially not beyond even next year.

Tonight though, he got a little bit of puck love and help from his posts – but he stood in front of another high amount of shots from the leagues best team, and never failed his team once, despite losing in the shootout.

The other two stars for the Buffalo Sabres are going to be here for the foreseeable future, and only one of them is a tradable commodity, if something better comes along.

Zemgus Girgensons continues to impress, and he continues to show an acumen that is going to take him far in this league.  Far enough that I don’t argue with the fact that he should be and will be the Bufalo Sabres captain after Bria Gionta.

Girgensons hasn’t had the greatest of February’s, with only one goal dating back to the Dallas game on February 7th.  Few games this year he has not gotten a shot on goal, but he needs to put the puck on net more during hockey games to score goals.

I figured the Buffalo Sabres would use Bogosian, but that they would fill the hole left by Tyler Myers ice time by committee, but instead Zach Bogosian is filling that void nicely.

The Buffalo Sabres could have beaten the leagues best team tonight, instead they beat themselves, by parading to the penalty box and continuing to give the Predators chances.

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