When the 2025 NHL Playoffs roll around, I might root for the Winnipeg Jets for a few reasons. For one, the old Atlanta Thrashers were always my team back on those now-ancient EA Sports NHL 2009-10 games, mainly because the Sabres were still relevant and I wanted to rebuild teams in franchise mode.
Yeah, funny how much things have changed since then, right? These days, the Sabres would be my team in those games if I was still interested in playing them. I’m not, by the way, simply because I can no longer get past the fact that video games are just, well, irrelevant.
Hey, I’ll just be straightforward, alright? Anyway, real-life hockey is a lot more fun to watch, even when the Sabres continue to lose in the most hilarious ways. But what’s even more fun is when the Sabres exert some sweet revenge on a former free-agent bust.
Sabres made Eric Comrie look like the AHL-caliber netminder he is
Remember when Eric Comrie enjoyed an excellent season as Connor Hellebuyck’s backup goaltender a few years back and everyone thought he was the next man up to make the leap? Yeah, fast-forward through a couple of seasons, and Comrie’s back in Canada, and playing decent hockey behind that same elite team.
Through that patch in Buffalo, Comrie finished his time in a blue and gold sweater with an 11-16-1 record, an 0.882 save percentage, a 3.68 GAA, a shutout, and a quality starts percentage of 0.379. But hey, at least he notched a shutout, right?
Anyway, Comrie gave the Sabres next to nothing during his time in Buffalo, so it looked like the Blue and Gold decided to return the favor this past Sunday. And really, the Sabres returned it in the greatest way you could think of - during a game when they barely got any shots off.
The Sabres looked like they played against organizational depth on Sunday
Regardless of which version we get of the Winnipeg Jets, they’re always a good hockey team these days and one that borders on elite. But that didn’t stop Comrie from allowing four goals on just 16 shots against, and the Sabres also added a fifth goal in an empty net.
Yeah, way to exert revenge on a former teammate, and one who will go down in Sabres history as one of the bigger free-agent busts. In 2022-23, Comrie was supposed to be the guy while Craig Anderson stepped in about once a week. And Comrie’s campaign could’ve been even more disastrous had Devon Levi not signed his entry-level deal to save the situation.
While Levi has yet to put up many performances similar to what he did late that season, he was the MVP in the crease despite playing in just seven games. It made him the favorite to win the No. 1 goaltender job in 2023-24 in front of Comrie and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, the latter of whom had since taken control of the net.
Still, Comrie had his chance during those two seasons in Buffalo and blew it. So, he returned to Winnipeg and faced a Sabres team playing for respect. No, the Blue and Gold didn’t play a good hockey game, but they probably had an inkling they didn’t need to against a netminder like Comrie.