Buffalo Sabres earn a big win in Rick Jeanneret’s last game
By Sion Fawkes
Legendary Buffalo Sabres play-by-play announcer Rick Jeanneret signed off for the final time last night and it couldn’t have been a more exciting last game.
The Buffalo Sabres grudge match against the Chicago Blackhawks strongly resembled the previous affair, just without the four-goal deficit. Not that the Sabres didn’t face adversity, they definitely did, but rookie defenseman Owen Power knotted the game up at the 14:22 mark in the third period gave them a chance to overcome it once again.
The game continued as a deadlock as time expired before a backhand from Casey Mittelstadt two minutes into OT and sent the Sabres into the offseason with a shining 16-9-3 record (35 points) since March 1st, 2022.
Their huge win also sent longtime play-by-play announcer Rick Jeanneret home as a winner. Having been with the Sabres organization for over 50 seasons, Jeanneret served as the longest-tenured play-by-play radio broadcaster for one team in NHL history.
Buffalo Sabres capped off a season of culture-change with a huge win
A memorable season indeed, the Sabres spent the final two months giving their fan base something to look forward to when October rolls around. For a team that managed just 40 points in the first five months of the season, the Sabres quickly established themselves as one of the NHL’s fastest-rising franchises if March and April 2022 serve as indicators.
The game was every bit as symbolic of the Sabres resilience this season. A team struck by COVID-19 and injuries looked down and out in January. And their abysmal 16-30-8 record just beyond the season’s halfway point left the franchise with more questions than answers.
Under the leadership of veterans Craig Anderson and Kyle Okposo – the latter of whom won the RICO Award, the Sabres transformed their bleak season into one fans won’t soon forget. While they still set an NHL record for most consecutive seasons without a playoff berth, none of that matters right now. The Sabres learned how to become winners as the season wore on.
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They built sound team chemistry and gave fans a plethora of memorable moments on the ice. And nothing is more fitting than Casey Mittelstadt’s game winner in oooovertime as a fitting end to both their season and their legendary broadcaster’s storied career.