Eric Comrie saves the Buffalo Sabres in Edmonton
By Sion Fawkes
The Buffalo Sabres may have beaten the Edmonton Oilers 4-2, but don’t let the four-goal outing fool you. This game belonged to Eric Comrie.
Eric Comrie posted highlight reel save after highlight reel save in the Buffalo Sabres big win over the Edmonton Oilers. In a game where the Sabres once more hung with and this time beat a talented opponent, there were long stretches where they looked like a young hockey team with limited experience.
It seemed as though the Sabres were stuck in their defensive zone forever, forcing Comrie to almost singlehandedly keep this contest under control. And he didn’t flinch, saving 46 of 48 shots on goal, good for a 0.958 save percentage.
Eric Comrie leads the Buffalo Sabres to a big win
Comrie, one of the more under-the-radar signings this past offseason, had a preseason to forget. But given the lineups he had in front of him, it was easy to see why he saved just 81% of all shots on goal in two appearances.
The new Sabres goaltender reportedly wanted to take on the challenge of playing on the road with a lesser lineup. And while it raised doubt in some fans, many others knew that they had little to worry about.
Comrie had a decent game on Saturday against the Florida Panthers, which should have negated some concerns. In that contest, he saved 33 of 37 shots on goal, good for the Third Star Award. And tonight, not only did he save 46 shots; he also saved all six shots on goal when Edmonton was on the power play.
Speaking of power plays, the Oilers, four of eight on the season heading into tonight’s game, dropped all three opportunities against Comrie and the Sabres. And in a large part, they can credit Comrie for shutting out Edmonton’s power play.
Despite the big win, putting the pressure on Comrie shows the Sabres still have a long way to go. They were physical early, but that physicality dissipated somewhat in the third period. They won just 44% of their faceoffs, saw just 24 shots on goal, and gave the puck away six times in the third.
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But hey, at least the Sabres have shown they can beat playoff-caliber teams like the Oilers. We shall see if this trend continues on Thursday vs. Calgary.
(Statistics provided by NHL.com)