The Buffalo Sabres had to feel like they were effectively playing with house money going into the Sunday evening showdown with the Anaheim Ducks. After all, they began the trip with back-to-back shutouts before hanging four unanswered goals on the Los Angeles Kings to improve to 3-0 on the road trip.
The affair in Anaheim was a wild one from start to finish. The Sabres made an impressive push in the third period but ultimately faltered in the end, dropping a 6-5 decision in an exciting overtime thriller to end the road trip.
Fighting Through Adversity
For the first 40 minutes of play, the single biggest talking point revolved around how tired the Sabres looked. Not only did their play have a sluggish quality to it, but the shots of the bench throughout told the story as well.
Perhaps nothing was more telling than the shot near the end of the second period. Rasmus Dahlin and Mattias Samuelsson, both hanging their heads and simply attempting to get as much air as they could.
Josh Doan, Buffalo Sabres (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Somehow, the Sabres found their game again in the third period, scoring three goals before Anaheim answered with the tying marker with just under two minutes to go. This was the kind of effort that the best teams make – finding that extra level when it doesn’t feel like there is anything left to give.
The Fourth Line Continues to Be Awesome
It cannot be said enough how good the fourth line has been for the Sabres. Beck Malenstyn and Sam Carrick have had a few different linemates since the trade that brought Carrick to Buffalo, but Zach Benson may be the best fit of them all.
Related: Sabres Player Spotlight: Beck Malenstyn
The trio plays with relentless tenacity, hounding defenders on the forecheck and causing a slew of mistakes. Benson was excellent against the Ducks, picking up a goal and an assist while causing myriad other chances that could have gone either way.
Watching these guys, it is clear that they provide an advantage for the Sabres when they are on the ice. Benson’s versatility is nice in that his game is suited to work anywhere in the lineup. Playing with Malenstyn and Carrick, Benson has been more impactful than ever.
Alex Lyon Deserves Some Love
Alex Lyon definitely did not have his best game. When you give up six goals on 33 shots, it would be hard to say otherwise. That said, the box score doesn’t tell the entire story, and the Sabres would not have left Anaheim with a point if not for him.
Alex Lyon, Buffalo Sabres (Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)
As the Sabres began to take more and more chances to narrow the deficit in the third period, Lyon had to get bigger and bigger. He stopped a pair of breakaway chances, not to mention a slew of other opportunities for the Ducks.
Neither the fifth nor the sixth goal were truly on him, but it would be hard to ask more than what he did for them when it mattered most. It is synonymous with the Sabres, as a whole, this season: you can’t ever count them out.
Back Home for Four in a Row
You really can’t ask for more than seven of a possible eight points on the road. Thoughts aren’t on the playoffs anymore; they are on an Atlantic Division title and home ice when the playoffs begin.
The Sabres now have four games in a row at home, three of them against teams just behind them in the standings: the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, and New York Islanders. Everything is building to an April 6 showdown with the Tampa Bay Lightning, possibly with the division on the line.
