3 studs (and 2 duds) in Buffalo Sabres win over the Senators
The Buffalo Sabres saw some exciting moments in their win over the Ottawa Senators, but it wasn’t the prettiest win in recent memory.
After giving up three goals toward the end of regulation, the Buffalo Sabres found themselves in quite the battle against the Ottawa Senators last night. Nonetheless, the Blue and Gold ended up enjoying a huge win on the road, and in the process, they saw a lot of good things happen.
One of the lines seemed to be nothing short of unstoppable while two players also turned in a memorable outing. But when you allow three goals in just over 200 seconds, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.
So how good (and how badly) did things go for the Sabres in a game that could have ended in heartbreak? Keep reading to discover three studs and two duds in last night’s big, but nail-biting win over the Senators.
3 studs in the Buffalo Sabres win over Ottawa and 2 duds
Stud – Casey Mittelstadt line
Just how good was the Casey Mittelstadt line last night? They dominated in almost every aspect, including the entire trio of Mittelstadt, Alex Tuch, and Jeff Skinner joining forces to score the first goal of the game.
While they allowed three high-danger chances at 5-on-5, they didn’t allow a goal, per Natural Stat Trick. The three also put together a pair of high-danger chances themselves, and dominated in both the CF% and FF% at 59.09 and 58.82, respectively. Overall, this is a line that you don’t want to see head coach Don Granato break up any time soon.
Dud – Late-game defense
The Sabres cannot let something like this happen routinely. And as the same had occurred just last week vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning, it will become a problem if Don Granato doesn’t take necessary steps to address it immediately.
Regardless of one’s opinion on the matter, it didn’t help that Dylan Cozens let his issues with Vladimir Tarasenko linger for far too long. The fact is, the Sabres have won three games this season, and in two of those wins, they let their opponents back in it. Sure, they held on just enough to win, and for that, you need to credit the next stud on this list.
Stud – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
It’s almost always a given that goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will finish the game with a save percentage below 0.900, or at least that was the case last year. But last night’s 0.895 percentage is not a reflection on him, and if he didn’t make more than his fair share of big saves last night, the Buffalo Sabres would not have had such a huge lead to fend off the Senators late-game surge.
There were some things about Luukkonen last night that didn’t go well, as his positioning is still an area of concern. But overall, he played a great game and was the victim of some terrible defense in the final five minutes. Against a high-scoring team like the Sens, Luukkonen put up a surprising performance, and it’s something he can build on moving forward.
Dud – Dylan Cozens
Dylan Cozens had a great game, so the fact that he landed as one of two ‘duds’ on this list may be puzzling. However, Cozens was a catalyst in the Senators late-game surge. He never should have gone after Vladimir Tarasenko like that late in the game with the Sabres holding a 5-2 lead at the time.
When you’re leading that late in the game, even by three goals, you just skate away, forget about the incident, and move on. Unfortunately, Cozens lost his cool and it ended up not only with the Sens scoring on the ensuing power play, but it also shifted the momentum. It’s a mistake that the 22-year-old needs to learn from and avoid repeating.
Stud – Owen Power
Power was the highest-rated defenseman per Hockey Stat Cards, and he was on the ice for three goals at 5-on-5. He also tallied 16:49 of ice time in the same situation, which put him behind only Rasmus Dahlin and Connor Clifton, both of whom also enjoyed strong outings.
Power also finished the game with the highest CF% and FF% among the Buffalo Sabres blueliners, and the Blue and Gold forged 12 shots when he was on the ice – again, at 5-on-5. Like Alex Tuch, Power needed a strong outing, and he got more than his fair share in last night’s win.
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The Sabres have two days off before they head out to New Jersey to face the Devils, the team who eliminated them from playoff contention just six-and-a-half months ago. Can Buffalo gain some sweet revenge, and can those who played well last night build on their respective performances?
(Data and statistics provided by Natural Stat Trick, Hockey Stat Cards, and Hockey-Reference)