The Buffalo Sabres received a much-needed jolt in Saturday’s win against Arizona with the return of Craig Anderson
The Buffalo Sabres needed a spark. Injuries, COVID, and suspensions left this team with a bare-bones roster. We thought things hit rock bottom following Tuesday’s 5-0 shellacking at the hands of the Ottawa Senators. Then Aaron Dell received a three-game suspension, and it dug the Sabres into a deeper hole.
Then Michael Houser, Dell’s supposed replacement, tested positive for COVID-19. On Saturday, Rasmus Dahlin, Victor Olofsson, and Rasmus Asplund all received positive tests. It was the absolute worst situation an NHL team can find themselves in, and it’s how the Sabres kicked off their road trip to the desert and the mountain west.
Anderson gives the Buffalo Sabres a much-needed jolt
Even against a bad team like the Coyotes, few thought the Sabres would win this game. And there was definitely no way they would compete with the likes of Colorado and Vegas. Then Anderson and fellow goalie Dustin Tokarski made the trip and dressed.
Anderson dealt with an upper body injury since November 2nd and Tokarski experienced lingering COVID issues. This past Tuesday, no one would have predicted Anderson to suit up and return from his injury earlier than anticipated. And even if he were to return, he’d need to shake some rust, right?
Wrong! Anderson looked like he never missed a single second. The 40-year-old finished 27 for 28 in the net, saving all 24 of his even-strength shots on goal and posting a save percentage of .964.
Of course, Anderson had some help via the Sabres’ skaters. Kyle Okposo returned to the lineup and scored a goal. Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs posted two points and split with a goal each, helping the Sabres jump out to a 3-0 lead, and ultimately winning 3-1.
No one saw Anderson’s stellar performance coming, especially since he’d been out of action for almost three months. But with the win, he improves to 5-2 on the year and the Sabres recorded a much-needed win with just two games remaining before the All-Star Break.