For the first time since December 1st, the Buffalo Sabres were back home as they were playing the Philadelphia Flyers. They were not only playing in front of their home fans but were playing in front of their new general manager, Jarmo Kekalainen.
However, it felt like more of the same old Sabres after the first period with the team coming out flat. They were able to flip a switch though down the stretch and found a way to win 5-3. These were some of the notes and takeaways from that game.
Ugly first period for the Buffalo Sabres
There wasn't much to like from the first period for the Sabres and it was rather surprising considering the events of the week. It would have made sense for the players to be put on notice and want to come out fast for that reason, or at the very least, defend their three-game win streak.
That wasn't the case, and the Flyers clearly outplayed the Sabres through the first 20 minutes, even if the score was tied at one. The performance of the first period drew plenty of criticism from ESPN analyst John Tortorella with most of that directed toward Tage Thompson.
The struggles in the first period is not anything new for the Sabres as they had been outscored in the first period 34-28.
Buffalo Sabres bounce back to finish the game well
After an ugly first period, the Sabres bounced back over the final two periods to take control and help them secure the win over the Flyers by a final score of 4-2. It would actually be the Flyers who would break the tie with Cam York beating Alex Lyon to take a 2-1 lead.
However, Buffalo would score three straight from that point with Tage Thompson, Noah Ostlund, and Josh Norris finding the back of the net. If the Sabres want to get back into playoff contention, they need these types of periods over an entire game. They can't afford to come out flat against the top teams and hope they can come back to win.
Alex Lyon stacks another good start for the Buffalo Sabres
Who knows what is going to happen with the goalie position, but Alex Lyon is continuing to deliver for Buffalo. At this point, the coaching staff would be smart to just go with him as the starter moving forward.
This was technically his fourth straight start for Buffalo, although that first game against Edmonton Colten Ellis started before leaving in the first period due to an injury. The Sabres have won each of these starts and has a save percentage of .916 over that stretch.
The NHL roster freeze is midnight on Saturday, and with Colten Ellis returning to practice, it wouldn't be surprising if the Sabres made a trade before that roster freeze. However, whatever they decide, Alex Lyon should be a part of their goalie position moving forward.
Buffalo Sabres survive a late mistake
The Sabres would jump out to a 4-2 lead in the third period but couldn't seem to put the Flyers away until the final seconds. With a little over five minutes left in the third period, Travis Konecny would cut the lead in half with a goal.
Holding onto a one-goal lead is hard enough, but the Sabres made it even tougher when Mattias Samuelsson was called for a delay of game. The Flyers would end up having a 6-on-4 for the remainder of the third period, where the Sabres needed big saves and blocked shots down the stretch.
They would finally be able to secure the win after they cleared the puck about the time that Samuelsson came out of the box. He was able to control the puck and find Ryan McLeod for the empty-net goal.
It was a big win that the Sabres needed and they will look to continue their win streak on Saturday against the New York Islander.