While the Sabres failed to play spoiler against the Jets, they did manage to strike a little revenge back at the New York Rangers, by allowing the Jets a huge 2 points. With the 2 points the Jets are now just 1 point behind the Rangers for eighth.

It was a record breaking night for the Sabres leading scorer and a performance that brought back memories of a former legend by the man between the pipes. But in the end it wasn’t enough to drag out the W. The good news for fans who support tanking, is the fact they lost and didn’t gain two points to move up in the standings.

Game Notes

• Another stellar performance from Jhonas Enroth tonight who faced 39 shots and stopped 37 of them. With another solid effort
  

  Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

  between the pipes, Enroth seems to be turning doubters into believers. I used to be nervous when the Sabres threw him into a game, but now I’m completely confident. He kept the Sabres in the game and made some huge saves, including one that went off his butt while he was facing the boards and a Penalthy Shot against the always dangerous Evander Kane. His performance tonight drew comparisons to Sabres legend Dominik Hasek. If Enroth continues to play like he has as of late, there’s no doubt in my mind he could become a solid NHL starter.

• With his goal tonight Thomas Vanek now has 248 career goals which puts him 6th amongst all time Sabres.
• It’s great that the Sabres have Mikhail Grigorenko back with the NHL club to finish off the year but they need to play him more. He only drew into the line-up tonight due to an injury to Patrick Kaleta. He was kept mostly on the third line between Jochen Hecht and Drew Stafford. The best way for the kid to learn is for the coach to show trust in him and play him with line mates that will actually teach him something. The Sabres are out of the playoffs and have nothing to lose, why not put him with a Thomas Vanek, Tyler Ennis, Steve Ott or Marcus Foligno so the kid can learn and compete.
• Once again the Sabres had difficulties getting shots on the opposition. When the Sabres enter the offencive zone, instead of charging to the net to get a shot or create a scoring chance, they stop and look for the pass. That kills the momentum and often ruins any scoring chance the Sabres may have had.
• 6th game in a row against the the Jets where the Sabres were only able to score 1 goal. Not going to win many games only scoring 1 goal. As good as Enroth was tonight, getting some goals to support your goalie is always helpful.

Tonight’s game seemed to sum up the Sabres’ season. A valiant effort that fell just short. The Sabres didn’t play a horrible game and played well enough to win. A bounce or two their way and a couple more goals and it could have been a W for the boys in blue and gold. The good news is this year has a very deep draft.

Tonight’s game was a lot more exciting than yesterday’s 1-0 win over the Flyers. The Sabres drew first blood and got off to a fast start forcing the Lightning back on their heels. They let Tampa back in the game slightly but Jhonas Enroth stood tall and the Sabres dragged out the victory.

Game Notes

• Sabres got off to a quick start which was nice to see out-shooting the Lightning 10-7. It was the first time in 12 games the Sabres outshot their opponent in the first period. In addition to outshooting the opposition the Sabres also drew 2 penalties. The Sabres were the quicker and better team in the first.
• The line of Steve Ott, Brian Flynn and Kevin Porter continue to look good together. They were the best line to for the Sabres throughout the game creating numerous offencive chances and combining for the Sabres third goal.
• The Sabres appear to have fixed their power play issues. They had 2 power plays in the first and converted on one of them. Not only did they score a power play goal for the first time in 8 games, their power play actually looked like a power play. They were able to setup in the opposition’s zone and moved the puck back and forth with no trouble. They didn’t force shots and looked very calm with the man advantage.
• Jhonas Enroth had another solid night between the pipes. He faced 33 shots and stopped 32 of them, including a diving save on
  

  Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

  Steven Stamkos. When the Lightning gained momentum Enroth stood strong and shut the door. Has Enroth finally turned the corner to show the Sabres he’s ready to be a starter?

• Doesn’t appear Thomas Vanek has any confidence in his shot right now. He gets a breakaway and drops the puck for teammates and ends the scoring threat. Vanek is continually opting to pass the puck instead of shooting. He did get a nice assist on Ennis’ goal, but when he’s streaking down the wing he needs to take the shot. He’s the Sabres leading scorer for a reason!
• Nice to see Tyler Ennis and Jochen Hecht scoring goals tonight. These two haven’t been extremely productive this season, having them score when the first line isn’t is a huge plus.
• Mike Weber didn’t have the greatest game on the backend tonight. He committed several turnovers, was out-skated numerous times and even had the Lightning goal deflect off him. On the opposite, Weber’s defence partner Chad Ruhwedel had another strong game. In only his second NHL game since signing with the Sabres, Ruhwedel looks confident and strong on the puck.

While it was a convincing win and a huge two points for the boys in blue and gold, it may be too little too late. The Buffalo Sabres are four points back with five games remaining. At least they’ll make it interesting right down to the end.