3 sparks that ignited the Buffalo Sabres in March
The Buffalo Sabres have become something in March that they haven’t been since October: A fun team to watch.
There is no way the Buffalo Sabres will make the playoffs this season. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t tune into the remaining games. If March has proven to be any indicator, it’s that the Sabres are going to finish the season giving it their all and even defeating a few opponents they otherwise would not have beaten earlier in the year.
Improvement, in other words, has the Sabres on-track to finish the year with at least a respectable record in March and April. And with improvement comes sparks that have ignited the team to new heights, evidenced by their 4-2 record during the first half of the month.
So what was it that helped give the Sabres much-needed momentum? Here are three sparks in March that the team can build on.
Beating the Toronto Maple Leafs
Can you rank anything else at #1? The Sabres threw a dagger into the Leafs plans to win the Atlantic Division not once, but TWICE in March.
Want more fun? The Leafs put up little resistance both in the March 2nd meeting and at the Heritage Classic. In the March 2nd game, the Sabres made quick work of their division rival, throttling them in a 5-1 win.
The Leafs provided a little more resistance last Sunday at the Heritage Classic, jumping out to a 2-1 lead. Then the Sabres scored four unanswered goals and sealed the deal, outscoring the Leafs 10-3 in two games.
While it’s always great to get a win, especially when you’re a trying team like the Sabres, defeating the Maple Leafs makes the ordeal even more satisfying. The Sabres have one more opportunity to beat Toronto, and that opportunity will come on April 12th.
Leaving Jack Eichel Bitter
Before the Vegas Golden Knights came to town, the Sabres looked as though they reverted back to their “same old Sabres” moniker. The Los Angeles Kings shut them out before they put up an embarrassing performance against Sam Reinhart and the Florida Panthers the next evening.
Then came Jack Eichel and the Golden Knights, a game no one thought the Sabres would win. And early in the third period, it looked as though the Sabres were heading for yet another heartbreaker.
But it didn’t happen. Instead, the Sabres scored two unanswered goals to top the Knights, leaving Eichel so sore he could only take a cheap shot at Sabres fans following the game. But who cares?
The Sabres won. Their fans won. And Alex Tuch embarrassed Eichel when he stripped the ex-Sabre of the puck and sealed the game with an empty-netter.
Having fun amidst a losing season
You knew it when the Sabres arrived in Hamilton wearing Flint Tropics uniforms – a tribute to the 2008 flick Semi-Pro. But the fun didn’t begin prior to the Heritage Classic. You can actually argue the Sabres started enjoying themselves in mid-February following the All-Star break.
Remember when Alex Tuch crashed Tage Thompson‘s presser following the team’s 6-3 win over the New York Islanders?
Per the Buffalo Hockey Beat:
“It felt like the tide (mood) change was evident in mid-February, when Alex Tuch crashed Tage Thompson’s postgame interview after the team’s 6-3 win over the Islanders.”
Yeah, things got ugly following that win, and the Sabres finished the month 0-6. But hey, fun times boost team morale. They’re a light in the darkness of a long season. And in the long run, you can bet fun times, even amidst a losing season, will provide more than just a spark moving forward.
Related Story. Month of March shows glimpse into Sabres future. light
It’s something the Sabres needed, especially given the beatings they’ve taken this season. And the more fun a team has in the locker room and off the ice, the more they’re willing to come to work and show up night after night. So get used to the fun times.