The Buffalo Sabres were " California Dreamin' " en route to a western road trip sweep

Los Angeles Kings

The Sabres kicked things off with a 1-0 shutout victory against the LA Kings to open their road trip. Following two scoreless periods, Jason Zucker scored what would wind up being the game-winner early in the third. Backed by Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen between the pipes, Zucker has quickly become a fan favorite for Buffalo fans.

Anaheim Ducks

After finding themselves down by a pair, Buffalo turned on the jets during the ladder portion of the second period, as a pair of goals just 50-seconds apart would have the game tied. First, Alex Tuch lit the lamp to continue his point-per-game pace during this early season, and then Zucker would also tally one on the board.

With the game headed into overtime, young forward, Jiri Kulich capitalized on a rebound left by netminder John Gibson to seal the deal and send the Sabres to San Jose with the 3-2 victory and the extra point.

San Jose Sharks

The Sharks certainly had something to play for, as longtime Captain Joe Thornton had his #19 retired in the rafters of the SAP Center before puck drop. However, the Sabres played spoiler and came back multiple times to earn the win.

After being down by a goal early, Peyton Krebs zipped down the ice to snipe one past Sharks' goaltender, Mackenzie Blackwood. From there, the team headed into the third down by one, where Dylan Cozens would take a one-timer to tie the game at two a piece. Special teams emerged as the difference maker, as Alex Tuch lit the lamp for a short handed goal to extend the Sabres lead. Tuch, whose three short-handed goals are tied for first in the NHL with Sam Reinhart, was key in the victory.

With under a second remaining, Captain Rasmus Dahlin used the board to seal the deal with an empty net goal for the 4-2 win. James Reimer made his first career start for the Sabres, and made an incredible highlight-reel save against his former club. His potential save of the year will certainly be the talk for days to come, before the team returns home to KeyBank Center Wednesday versus the Minnesota Wild.

Key Takeaways

In what has been a surprisingly weak Eastern Conference to start the season, the Sabres ran away with six key points on this California road trip in hopes of breaking their playoff drought. Special teams played a huge role, as the penalty kill was a perfect 12/12 on the road trip, along with Tuch's special teams goal. Defensemen Owen Power has continued to silence critics, as his 15 even-strength points are the most among NHL defensemen.

Things are truly looking up for the Sabres, and this is all while star center Tage Thompson has sat the last five games due to an injury. While Head Coach Lindy Ruff acknowledged that Thompson would have likely played if these were playoff games, it was a really smart approach from the team to keep him off the ice for precautionary reasons until fully healthy. After all, the Sabres have won seven out of their last nine and will need Thompson throughout the duration of the season as they continue pushing along.

It is truly a great time to be a Sabres fan as the team is on the up-and-up. Do not underestimate this team and their capabilities the remainder of the season.