Up next, we took a deeper dive into the two-game series between the Buffalo Sabres and the 2021-22 Stanley Cup Champs Colorado Avalanche.
It’s never easy when you have to go up against the defending Stanley Cup Champions, especially if you’re the youngest team in the NHL. For the Buffalo Sabres, that would be the case as they would take on the Colorado Avalanche. For the next edition of “How They Fared“, we take a look at the two games between them.
Luckily for Buffalo, they would see Colorado twice within a two week span in the month of December. The first meeting would take place in Buffalo. Former Sabre J.T. Compher got the scoring started but it would not last long as Jack Quinn tied the game just a couple of minutes later.
The Sabres took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission thanks to Tage Thompson scoring with 11 seconds left. Colorado responded in the second period with three unanswered goals to take a 4-2 lead. On the power play, Dylan Cozens would respond with a goal but the Avalanche scored just a couple of minutes later.
Trailing 5-3, the Sabres made it a one score game thanks to Alex Tuch scoring just seven seconds into the period. Unfortunately, Buffalo couldn’t score anymore goals as Colorado would seal the game during the final minute.
Buffalo Sabres split season series with Colorado in 2022-23
The Sabres would not have to wait long to face off against the Avalanche again as they would meet up in Denver two weeks later. Just 54 seconds into the game, Thompson scored his 24th of the season. Buffalo would occupy a 2-0 lead heading into the intermission thanks to Tuch scoring.
A couple of minutes into the period, Rasmus Dahlin made it 3-0 Sabres. Almost halfway into the third period, Mikko Rantanen got Colorado on the board. Under two minutes remaining, the Avalanche scored again to make it 3-2.
Cozens would ruin any chance of a comeback however as he scored his 11th of the season, securing the Sabres 4-2 win. It was alarming though as the Avalanche outshot the Sabres 17-1 in the final frame.
Ukko Pekka Luukkonen was clutch especially in the final frame to make sure Buffalo got the win. It was very encouraging to see the Sabres split their season series with the defending Stanley Cup champs.
(Historical information provided by Hockey-Reference)