Buffalo Sabres Start Strong, Lose Momentum Against Maple Leafs
By Adam DeRose
The Buffalo Sabres started out fast and lost steam Tuesday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Adam recaps the action!
As I mentioned in the pregame article, I was excited about last night’s game. However, I didn’t realize how excited I would be! When I got home from work, I was welcomed with a huge loud storm! Little Ziggy and Belle were in their high chairs, yelling in excitement that I was home, while Teppo Numminen (my dog, not the hockey player) was barking his head off. Dinner was crazy and bedtime left my ears ringing. I know I said previously that I did not enjoy late games, but I was thankful that the Buffalo Sabres @ Toronto Maple Leafs game started at 7:30pm.
Even though Shannon and I put Little Ziggy down for bed at 7pm, I could still hear him loud and clear through the floor at puck drop; 7:35pm. Needless to say, I muted the baby monitor and turned up the TV…moments later, Shannon grabbed the baby monitor away from me.
I’m not going to lie, but I was surprised that the Buffalo Sabres scored first, not that I’m complaining. We got a good break off of our dump in. Toronto’s goalie Frederik Andersen felt the pressure from Buffalo’s forward William Carrier and coughed the puck up. Bulffalo’s lone 2016-17 All-Star Kyle Okposo slammed home the free puck!
Towards the dying seconds of the 1st Period, Buffalo iced the puck, which is normally a no-no. Experts and analysts always throw us stats that it’s great for the offensive team; normally the team that iced the puck is exhausted and the offense gets to throw out a fresh line.. For some weird ass reason, the Toronto Hockey Gods let Buffalo grab the puck, skate down the ice, and score on a sleeping Andersen. I don’t know how Andresen didn’t know Buffalo’s Brian Gionta wasn’t going to pass to his line mate Evander Kane! Come on, even on my CRT—boob tube—TV, I could see Brian check down Evander like a crappy Buffalo Bills quarterback staring down his wide receiver! Regardless, I’m not complaining that Buffalo brought a 2-0 lead into the locker room!
Early in the 2nd Period, Buffalo was on the power play. I felt like the team tried to make it the Jack Eichel Show. It seemed like the puck was forced to him, as if to show Toronto that he was just as good as their Messiah, Auston Matthews…
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Needless to say, Buffalo had an extremely forgettable 2nd Period…I’m not here to tell you about the fartknockers who scored for the Hockey Gods’ Team. It pains me to state that our Sabres fell asleep for 20 minutes, and lost their shutout lead!
During the 2nd Period, I finally saw a first! Coach Dan finally pulled a Sabres goalie during a regulation game! I know I have not seen every regular season game, but it’s the first time I have seen this this season. I feel like Danny boy’s actions of pulling Robin Lehner speak louder words than him yelling at his team during a stupid TV timeout.
I liked Risto’s effort with taking the puck deep into the Toronto zone to try to start things towards the end of the 2nd Period, but it went for naught.
After the 2nd Period ended, my daughter Belle woke up to hearing Sabres announcer Rick Jeanneret state that Buffalo scored the first two goals, but Toronto scored the next three. Belle was bug eyed with the look of, “WTF?!”
Eventually the 3rd Period started and Belle didn’t want to lay in her bassinette, so we stood for the first part of the 3rd. I said to her, “Huh, this kinda feels like we are in a standing room only section.”
Even though she was only 5 months old, Belle watched the glowing box intently! I asked her, “When you get older, are you going to trade your stockings in for hockey socks?” She didn’t answer, but kept on watching the game. Every time I attempted to put her down in her bassinette, she cried, so I picked her up again.
Shannon came into the room because I was making a loud commotion, I was cheering that Buffalo’s William Carrier scored on Andersen…every time Andersen’s name was said, I couldn’t help but say, “Mr. Anderson!” like Agent Smith from The Matrix. Anyway, Shannon was surprised to see Belle wide awake, so she asked her, “Belle! It’s bedtime, what are you still doing up?”
I said, “Belle’s just like the Sabres. She’ll sleep for 40 minutes of play and wake up for 20 minutes…”
It was difficult to watch the Sabres blow their lead and lose to the Leafs at the ACC 4-3.
Grandpa Ziggy weighed in after the game, “WEL ADAM ,WE JUST SAW THE SABERS LOSE ONLY BY ONE GOAL. I alwayes think abaut the toranto players fast going gang so i was unsure who would win . my opinion was to keep the number 31 GOLY IN THE NET ,PLAYING THE FAST GOING TORANNTO PLAY.”