The Buffalo Sabres gave us all a scare with yet another second period meltdown, but they bounced back with a statement win.
For a minute there, we all said, “here we go again.” Because for the third straight game, the Buffalo Sabres played a good first period. And for the second time in their last three games, they took a 2-0 lead in the first, only to squander it early in the second frame.
At the 13:08 mark of the second, Buffalo’s 2-0 lead bottomed out into a 3-2 deficit, and the Anaheim Ducks looked unstoppable. Then Peyton Krebs scored 35 seconds later, and the Blue and Gold never looked back, taking this game 7-3 and improving to 27-22-4 on the season, good for 58 points.
The win didn’t just snap the Sabres four-game losing streak. It also put them four points behind the Washington Capitals and just five behind the Pittsburgh Penguins in the contest’s immediate aftermath.
Buffalo Sabres blowout the Ducks to inch closer to the wild card
Want even more fun? Buffalo realized early that Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal looked uncomfortable in the net, and they challenged him time and again, accumulating 44 shots in the game.
They also spotted a further weakness by challenging Dostal high, and it was something he couldn’t deal with all night. And best yet, Buffalo settled down offensively and played with better puck movement than they have since late January.
It was the kind of puck movement that gave them their seven-game points streak and five-game winning streak last month. And if the Sabres keep it simple and refuse to overcomplicate things, something they’ve struggled with at times this season, expect a repeat performance on Saturday against San Jose.
The high-octane win didn’t come without its shortcomings. Buffalo finished just 1 for 5 on the power play, and while they looked better on special teams, they were still far from perfect. If the Blue and Gold want to put themselves in the best possible position to sneak into the playoffs, the power play must improve.
Overall, it was, for two-and-a-half periods, a sound performance from the Sabres. The win also improved them to 11-2-2 on the road against the Western Conference. Can they snag a 12th win against San Jose? We will soon find out.
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