NHL Preseason review: The Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres have been trying to get back on track since the 2007-2008 season. That year they won 39 of the regular season games (compared to 53 the previous year) and weren’t able to make the playoffs. The next year they upped the ante with 41 games but that
still wasn’t enough to get them through to the playoffs. Last season there were more improvement and the Sabres ended the regular season with 45 wins. Their goals for and against difference was third best in the league at +28.
Last season they also made the playoffs for the first time since 2006-2007. They made it to the quarterfinals but lost to the Boston Bruins. The Sabres are looking strong again for this season. Their roster last year included many veterans and was well balanced.
General Manager Darcy Regier made a few changes but for the most part the team remains unchanged. Since last year Buffalo has acquired defensemen Jordan Leopold and Shaone Morrison but the most notable acquisition would be veteran Rob Niedermayer. Since last
year the already formidable Sabres have only gotten better.
The Sabres had a good regular season winning four of their 6 scheduled games. They opened the season against the Toronto Maple Leafs and won the game 3 to 1. It was the first time out for Niedermayer with the Sabres and the veteran showed his skills with
a goal in the second period without an assist. Also making in impact that night was Zack Kassian who earned an assist. Neither team was able to produce from power plays in the game. The Sabres offense was really putting pressure on Toronto’s goaltenders. The
first period had Buffalo shoot at the goal 13 times against 8 from the Leafs. They kept the pressure on Toronto and by the end of the third period they took 19 more shot on goal than the Maple Leafs.
The next time the two teams met the table were turned. The Maple Leafs had used the preseason to tweak their lines and prepare for the regular season. By their sixth game the Leafs had developed a good sense of what worked and what didn’t. Phil Kessel, Kris
Versteeg and Tyler Bozak on the first line was something that worked. The trio proved effective with Kessel scoring twice in the night. Nikolai Kulemin also scored twice.
Scoring opened with Buffalo’s Drew Stafford scoring in the 4th minute off a power play. A total of two of Buffalo’s goals came of power plays. By the 2nd period Buffalo’s defence had pulled through and the game was tied 3 for 3 but
in the 3rd period Toronto edged ahead. Buffalo had almost twice as many shots on goal than the Leafs but Toronto’s goaltender was able to stop all but 1 of the 15 third period shots.
After the loss the Sabres came back stronger. They won their next two games against the Ottawa Senators and the Montreal Canadiens (BUF 2 - OTT 1 and BUF 5 – MTL 3). Against Montreal the Buffalo Sabres scored three times on power plays and killed off all
penalties successfully. Apart from the first period, the Sabres had fewer shots on goal in each period but still scored more goals. Jhonas Enroth protected the net for the Sabres and stopped 28 of 31 shots to help the Sabres to victory.
The Sabres finished off the regular season with back to back games against the Philadelphia Flyers, losing the first and crushing the Flyers in the second. In the first game both teams were stingy on defence. In the first period, even with 19 shots on goal,
neither team scored. In the second period there were only two penalties, both on the Sabres and the Flyers made use of both power plays to score the only two goals of the game.
Sabres lost the first game 3 – 2 but came back with a vengeance the next time around to beat the Flyers 9 to 3. The Sabres unleashed on the Flyers with 8 straight goals while taking just 37 shots on goal (compared to 33 the first time) and on that high scoring
note the Sabres concluded the preseason.
The Sabres would open the regular season on Friday against the Ottawa Senators.
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