Buffalo Sabres: Most memorable moments of the 2021-22 season
Tage Thompson’s Game-Winner at Chicago
The Sabres spent most of the last decade as the NHL’s best team in one single category: Treating their fans to fools gold. And things looked hopeless over the first 23 minutes of regulation against the Chicago Blackhawks, when they found themselves in a 4-0 hole on the road.
That changed as the Sabres surged back throughout the game’s final 37 minutes, eventually knotting things up at five apiece. They could have taken the game into overtime, but with under 30 seconds to go in the contest, the Sabres found themselves in prime position to score.
Then Rasmus Dahlin found an open Tage Thompson near the top of the circle. The 6’7 forward didn’t necessarily drill the puck home. Instead, it banked off the boards and hit Blackhawks goaltender Kevin Lankinen’s skate, sealing the 6-5 win for the Sabres.
A memorable moment indeed, but, just for a bit of foreshadowing, this was not the most memorable moment against the Chicago Blackhawks this season. But more on that later.
Craig Anderson’s 300th career win
Craig Anderson happened to log his 300th career win on March 10th, 2022, the same day ex-Sabre Jack Eichel returned to the KeyBank Center as a member of the Vegas Golden Knights. It was a game where no one gave the Sabres much of a chance to win, given the way their previous two opponents outscored them 9-1.
But, the Sabres found themselves in a deadlock at 1-1 following a goal from Golden Knights defensemen, Ben Hutton in the third period. Sabres winger Victor Olofsson struck back and put the Sabres back up by one with a goal at the 16:16 mark.
Then came the highlight of the evening: With the game nearing its conclusion, Alex Tuch stole the puck from Eichel and sunk the empty-netter with 36 seconds to go. It sealed a 3-1 win for the Sabres and spoiled Eichel’s return to Buffalo.
But more importantly, it notched Anderson’s 300th win. In the process, he became just the 39th goaltender in NHL history to reach the milestone. Anderson was also the first to do so in a Buffalo Sabres uniform.
Sabres win Heritage Classic
The Sabres were the designated home team when they skated onto Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario on March 13th. And it was a classic battle indeed, at least for two periods when they traded blows with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the first 40 minutes.
The good guys got hot in the third period, and a trio of goals sunk the Leafs chances at exerting revenge from their 5-1 loss just eleven days prior. It was a game to remember for Peyton Krebs and Vinnie Hinostroza, both of whom scored a pair of goals.
While the game was memorable enough as the Sabres pulled it out in front of two national audiences, this moment was the second of three victories the Sabres secured over their division rival. And over those three games, they outscored the Leafs 15-5.
We will also remember this game for being a physical one. The two teams combined for 62 penalty minutes that included four misconducts. A late confrontation between Rasmus Dahlin and Leafs star player Auston Matthews resulted in a two-game suspension for the latter.
Sabres record first shutout win since October 2019
For the first time since October 25th, 2019, the Buffalo Sabres recorded a shutout. Even more impressive, it was goaltender Dustin Tokarksi‘s first shutout win since March 16th, 2014. He made 24 saves that evening for the then 21-33-8 Sabres, who rebounded from a 6-1 debacle of a showing from the previous evening.
Tage Thompson scored an impressive, unassisted game-winning goal in dramatic fashion. Skating up the ice, Calgary’s netminder, Jacob Markstrom, could not clear the puck, which landed on Thompson’s stick, and the rest is history, as they say.
Per NHL.com, there were plenty of other noteworthy milestones that occurred in the contest. It was the Sabres first overtime win since October 28th, when they beat the Anaheim Ducks during a West Coast road trip 4-3. The Sabres also stopped Markstrom from recording his 10th shutout of the season, which would have tied Miikka, Kiprusoff’s record set in 2005-06.
It was also the first of five straight overtime games for the Sabres in what might have been the team’s most thrilling slate of games.
Jeff Skinner’s four-goal outing against Montreal
Jeff Skinner was just one of two Sabres this season to score a hat trick, but he decided to add a fourth goal just for fun in the 5-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. The win gave Montreal 10 consecutive losses, and what makes this one more impressive is that it was all Skinner and little else.
The Sabres won just 38% of their face-offs that afternoon, and did not match the Canadiens in physicality. They were also stagnant on offense, as Skinner also logged six of the team’s 32 shots on goal.
What makes this game even more significant is that it was the Sabres last win of February. They would go on to lose six straight afterwards and face more adversity than at any other time in the season. By the time March rolled around, the six-game losing streak gave fans few reasons to tune in.
Fortunately, the Sabres rightened the ship and finished the year 16-9-3 for 35 points. The 12th highest in points percentage in March and April 2022.
Casey Mittelstadt’s game-winning goal on Rick Jeanneret’s final broadcast
It was a win that symbolized the Buffalo Sabres season in every aspect. In it, they saw a little adversity, something that occurred a lot throughout the year.
The Sabres also provided a thrill ride for the ages, routinely trading blows with a Blackhawks team determined to avenge their heartbreaking loss just one month prior. Fortunately, it didn’t happen that way, as the Sabres had more to play for that night.
It as longtime radio play-by-play announcer Rick Jeanneret’s final game in the broadcast booth, and the Sabres wanted to send him out as a winner. Rookie Owen Power gave them that chance at the 14:22 mark of the third period, tying the game at 2-2 on an unassisted goal.
At the 2:07 mark in overtime, Dylan Cozens, skating near the top of the circle, found center Casey Mittelstadt just in front of the net. And the embattled former first-round pick became the hero on this night, sneaking the puck by Blackhawks goaltender, Collin Delia.
More. Perreault best draft pick in Sabres history. light
It was a night to remember on so many fronts. And the big win, plus the other memorable moments on this list, have set the bar high for the Buffalo Sabres heading into next season. We will see if they can keep that momentum going.