Sabres snap four-game losing skid against East’s best
Sabres snap four-game losing skid against East’s best
The Buffalo Sabres departed from their familiar script after losing their fourth game in a row to Detroit earlier in the week, showing up and putting together one of their most complete performances against the club with the best record in the Eastern Conference.
The 3-1 victory over the Boston Bruins was a complete departure from the inconsistent efforts we have seen recently. The Sabres did not fold under early adversity, when an Eric Robinson goal was reversed for goalie interference, and responded soon after on J-J Peterka’s 11th of the season. Tage Thompson extended the lead with a one-timer blast past Vezina winner Linus Ullmark, but Brad Marchand quickly replied for the Bruins before the end of the second.
Victor Olofsson added some insurance in the third, and Devon Levi was impressive as the Bruins pressed late in regulation, stopping 15 shots in the third and 31 on the night in his first start since being recalled from Rochester.
Here are three takeaways from Buffalo’s 3-1 win over the Bruins:
Stepping Up Against The Best
The Sabres had lost five of their last six going into Thursday’s match, and the only exception to their losing ways had been a dominant 5-1 win over the Metropolitan Division-leading Rangers in New York on November 27. At one point in the second period, the Sabres were outshooting the Bruins 22-6 and kept the club that thumped them 5-2 last month limited to one fluky goal in their building.
Levi Sheds His Losing Ways
Rookie Devon Levi was not busy early on in his first NHL start in nearly two weeks, but the trip to the American Hockey League appears to have done the 21-year-old some good, as he appeared calm and composed facing 27 shots in the final 40 minutes for his first victory since November 10.
Mattias For The Block
With Rasmus Dahlin unable to play, the Sabres heaped a load of minutes on the makeshift top pairing of Mattias Samuelsson and Owen Power. The former #1 overall pick played a team-high 28:27 on Thursday, while the big Swede led the club with five hits and nine blocked shots.
LATEST THN BUFFALO STORIES
Sabres Acquire Robinson From Columbus
Takeaways From Loss To Red Wings