Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) – The Buffalo Sabres learned from the best on Monday, receiving a lesson in what playoff hockey looks like and what it takes to win in a 4-3 loss to the Florida Panthers.
The Sabres weren’t good, but they weren’t bad either on Monday. They just couldn’t figure out how to come out on top in a very tight, close checking game.
The pressure gets amped up in games like that, and now the Sabres know what they’ll need to do to handle that pressure.
Things like during a delayed penalty on the Panthers, the Sabres stormed Sergei Bobrovsky for over a minute while playing at 6-on-5. Tage Thompson did something I never thought I’d see: He made a great move and broke into the slot all by himself, but instead of using one of the best shots in the league, the two-time 40-goal scorer passed up the golden opportunity to shoot and tried a pass to a well-covered Josh Doan with two Panthers on him.
Right after that, Bobrovksy made an absolute game-saving toe save.
On the ensuing power play, Josh Norris used his skill to break in on Bobrovsky, but couldn’t score on the backhand.
Josh Dunne was inserted back into the lineup on Monday and showed why he never should’ve been pulled out. His line, along with Beck Malenstyn and Jordan Greenway, were heavy on the forecheck and got the Florida defensemen looking over their shoulders.
Then to fire up his team, he fights Donovan Sebrango and gets his team and the crowd hyped up.
Just 1:22 later, Thompson steals the puck and gets it to the crease, where Zach Benson outbattled his check and he pushes the puck into the net.
That tied the game at 2-2 through 40 minutes.
All the Sabres had to do was win the third period to take home two points. They, instead, found out how hard hockey is going to be for the rest of the season.
The defending champions pounced on a rebound that Sabres goalie Colten Ellis couldn’t handle to take a 3-2 lead. That happened quite a bit in this game.
Ellis also let in a goal by A.J. Greer in the first period that he’s got to make a save on.
In this killer stretch of games in the next two weeks, it looks like head coach Lindy Ruff is going to alternate goalies. Alex Lyon could be back within a week, and if Ellis wants to show he’s not going to lose his spot in the rotation, he has to be better.
Again, Ellis was OK, but OK won’t be good enough.
Despite the loss, the Sabres’ points percentage of .591 will keep them in the No. 1 Wild Card position in the Eastern Conference. Coming up are back-to-back home games on Wednesday and Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens, respectively.