It’s been a bit that I haven’t blogged the Sabres but I came back tonight to a real fun game. On the road in Anaheim for Sabres after dark, we couldn’t have started worse but came back in a fantastic effort then hung on for a 7-6 win in such a fun game.
The former Duck Zellweger took a penalty just 35 seconds into the game against his former team and just a minute later, Zach Benson took a penalty too to make it an early 5 on 3 for the Ducks. So it didn’t take long for Anaheim to score with some great chances leading to a redirection in front by Mikhail Granlund to redirect a shot by Jackson LaCombe to make it 1-0 Ducks with them still on the power play. Horrendous start. On that same power play, after ringing one off the pipe, Cutter Gauthier right away made it 2-0 Anaheim just 2:54 into the game. God we fucking blow. And less than three minutes in and I’m already pissed this is an ESPN broadcast. The Sabres got on the board though 10:03 into the game, with Tyson Kozak throwing it on net from the blue line through traffic, off the pipe and in. Back within one. The Ducks answered right back though, with Roger “Lightning” McQueen getting his first career goal to make it 3-1 just 41 seconds later after he got the puck with a second of time untouched right in front. Glad I took the over in this game at least. The Sabres went on the power play not long later and with 8:21 to go, we got our first power play goal on the road with Noah Ostlund getting the puck in a great spot off a bounce off a Ducks defenseman’s skate to rip it past Husso on the open side of the net to make it 3-2 early. This over is gonna be free. We’re right back in this game. And with 4:28 to go, Tage Thompson had a beautiful goal to tie the game up at 3 and cash my over early. The start for the Sabres was horrendous, but what a fun 20 minutes of hockey.
Both teams generated some good chances but couldn’t find the back of the net, but with 1:24 left in the second, Tage Thompson got the puck off the draw, went down to his knee, put it low and on net to give the Sabres their first lead of the game. Only 15 seconds later, in transition tage got right in front on Husso, slid it back hand and completed the natural hat trick, putting Buffalo up 5-3. Great second period for the Sabres.
Just 1:57 into the third period, the Sabres took a three goal lead on the power play again with Jack Quinn throwing it from down low through the crease, bouncing off Jackson LaCombe’s skate and into the net, making it a 6-3 game and giving Tage his fifth point of the night. With 13:23 left in the game, Zach Benson got off on a breakaway, off the boards and up and made it 7-3 for his second goal in two games. On the power play with 12:34 to go, Cutter Gauthier got the Ducks back within three, stopping the run of six straight goals for Buffalo to make it 7-4 on a one timer off a really good play. With 1:08 to go, the Ducks got a goal with the net empty from rookie Tristan Luneau put it towards the net, it bounced off the net and made it 7-5. It got testy though with Beckett Sennecke putting Anaheim back within one with 30.4 seconds left in the game, left out in the corner. The Sabres avoided the disaster though for Buffalo to hang on and win it.
FINAL: Sabres 7, Ducks 6
https://www.instagram.com/reels/DfGxW_zOgDm
What a game. What a hockey game. So fun to watch this one. It started off so shitty for the Sabres and we looked like a disaster so early, but what a game by Tage to bring us back and then press on the gas to win it. It got real testy there late though with the Ducks roaring back late with three goals on the empty net, but glad we could hang in for the win.
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