Buffalo Sabres: Ralph Krueger’s Revamped Offense Shines in 7-2 Rout of Devils
By Pete Zehler
Who is this team and what have you done with the Buffalo Sabres we’ve come to know for the last decade?
It’s only game 2 so we’ll try not to get to excited, but man these Sabres look awfully good.
Let’s talk a little bit about this game now. Right out of the gate Buffalo got a power play situation, and didn’t wait long to turn it into a goal. Just two minutes into the game Victor Olofsson put in a sweet wrist shot for his first goal of the year.
In the first period Buffalo dominated New Jersey much like they did Pittsburgh. The Sabres kept the puck in Devil territory pretty much the whole period. In the first period Buffalo put 14 shots on goal compared to New Jersey’s 4.
Later in the first on another power play, Captain Jack Eichel was able to find the back of the goal to make the score 2-0 Buffalo.
Coming out of the gates in the second period, New Jersey’s Kyle Palmieri scored a quick goal 37 seconds into the period.
However, Buffalo immediately returned to their dominate play and mostly kept the puck out of Buffalo territory.
2 minutes into the period, Kyle Okposo tipped in a goal for his first of the season.
Following Okposo’s goal the flood gates opened in the second for the Sabres. Jeff Skinner scored his first goal of the year after he received a beautiful pass from Marcus Johansson.
Later in the second period Victor Olofsson hit a solid shot for his second goal of the night to put the Sabres firmly into the lead 5-1.
One thing that cannot be understated is how well this team passes the puck around. They’re able to pass accurately on short passes, and long passes. It really opens up the offense and gives Buffalo a lot of good opportunities.
Coming out of the gate in the third period Buffalo again allowed a quick New Jersey goal as Travis Zajac slapped one home. But like they did all game long, quickly recovered and returned to dominating the Devils.
About 4 minutes into the period during a shift, Sam Reinhart scored a goal on what was probably the prettiest shot of the evening.
https://twitter.com/buffalosabres/status/1180656100728811520?s=21
Reinhart added on a second goal later in the period with a nice breakaway tap in.
Buffalo then played keep away for the rest of the game and were able to cruise home for a 7-2 victory and move to 2-0. Buffalo had 36 shots on goal compared to New Jersey’s 20.
Its not just that the Sabres have won these two games, it’s the way they have. This team behind head coach Ralph Krueger’s redesigned offense has looked spectacular. They keep the puck in the opponents territory and shoot at will.
Tomorrow I will take a more in depth look at what the team did well tonight and what they did not, but until then….
We’re 2-0 baby!