One major observation over the Buffalo Sabres last two games
By Sion Fawkes
The Buffalo Sabres have snagged three points in their previous two games, and one big reason is their ability to respond in both outings.
The Buffalo Sabres may not have won last night, but they did enough to force overtime and take a point. Yet that never would have happened had the Blue and Gold not done something that started during their 6-4 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs: Their ability to respond when their opponent scores.
Twice, the Carolina Hurricanes scored in regulation, and twice, the Sabres had an answer for the ‘Canes. One of those answers miraculously came on the Sabres power play when Casey Mittelstadt found Rasmus Dahlin for a score. Ironic, given how poorly Buffalo’s power play has been since the season opener.
The Sabres scored a miracle goal earlier in the contest when JJ Peterka somehow managed to get the puck in front of the net. It gave Alex Tuch a chance to steal possession of the puck and do the rest, in an effort that would eventually lead to the overtime period following Tuch’s and Dahlin’s goals.
Buffalo Sabres have responded to opponents often in previous two games
The Sabres found themselves in the opposite position against the Maple Leafs on Saturday, needing to score so they could stay ahead and pull off the upset. While Auston Matthews gave them trouble on three different occasions, it didn’t take the Sabres long to go back ahead with a goal of their own and eventually win the game.
This is one key element to the Buffalo Sabres game they need to keep up all season, and if they can, just about every game they play in will be interesting. Sure, they will make for nail-biting outings, but it was also something the Blue and Gold weren’t overtly consistent with in 2022-23.
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How many times did we see them allow a couple of early goals, only to get blown out? It’s happened twice this season, but if we’re talking about recency, the Sabres have hung with two quality opponents given their quick responses to goals. Let’s hope they keep it up when they square off in a back-to-back to close out the week.
Source: Observations: Sabres’ pair of rallies fall short as Hurricanes win in OT on Martin Necas goal by Mike Harrington, Buffalo News