In what felt like a big early game of ups and downs, the Sabres played a fun game in Montreal in the second half of a back to back, ultimately losing to 4-3 in a shootout to the Habs.
This feels like it’s a huge regular season game for this team, facing the team that knocked us out of the playoffs in Game 7 of the second round after a magical season. And I’m quite interested to see how they play, coming off that huge matinee win against the Panthers yesterday afternoon.
Nice to have the bit earlier start with the Frozen Frenzy, which I think is actually a fantastic night in the NHL each year and think the league should do this kind of stuff with the staggered start times more often.
The Sabres got on the board first and quick again tonight, which I thought they rode the momentum from nicely yesterday, as Olen Zellweger shot it from the point to get his first goal as a Buffalo Sabre, deflecting off a Habs defenseman and in the net, 2:16 into the game. The Sabres looked solid after that, with a lot of nice looks on the power play. Then the Habs went flying down the ice on a two on one and UPL made probably the best sprawling glove save of his career to keep the lead. Beautiful, and you don’t see that from him often. Not long after though, the Habs got an opportunity on a 5 on 3 and Lane Hutson ripped it from the top of the slot to tie the game with 5:32 to go in the first, and still power play time. Pretty fun first period, solid hockey for both teams.
The Habs took their first lead of the game just 1:19 into the second in transition with Juraj Slafkovsky tape to tape pass setting up Cole Caufield for a perfect one timer, making it look easy on Luukkonen to make it a 2-1 game. With 48.3 seconds, Josh Anderson ripped it in from the point to go up 3-1. The Sabres started to fall apart in that second period, looking slower as it went on. Not great.
Buffalo came out pretty well in the third, and 4:24 into the third period, Josh Norris got his first of the year, throwing the puck at the net from the top of the zone and it deflecting into the net to get us back within one. Just about a minute later, Olen Zellweger got his second of the game, similar to his first one, throwing it at the net through traffic, tying up the game 3-3 and cashing my over early with 14:35 left in the third. New game and we go to overtime for the extra point, with UPL stopping a great chance for the win for Montreal with three seconds left in regulation.
Very entertaining overtime with some great chances for both teams on breakaways at the end of shifts, but it was a scoreless five minutes and after some drama to end OT, we’re onto a shootout.
Cole Caufield, first to go for the Habs and scores it to put Montreal up 1-0 in the shootout. Tage goes first for us and beats Fowler far side to tie it up. Alex Texier up next and scores inside the stick side post. Jack Quinn got poke checked for the first save of the shootout. Zac Bolduc with the game on his stick beat UPL five hole and the Habs win.
FINAL: Sabres 3, Canadiens 4
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DedOwTyOHfb/?srtk=MXhqazl5dG5pb3JobA==
I thought we were the better team to start this game, but fell apart in the second and even though we climbed back in and tied it quickly, still ultimately lose. The offense was pretty good tonight, generating a bunch of chances, but our defense, especially in the second fell apart. UPL actually did make some nice saves tonight, including that highlight reel one in the first, but wasn’t great in goal either. At least we get a point out of that.
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