When it comes to the Buffalo Sabres NHL-high eight-game winning streak there will always be some that offering up deficiencies in their game or schedule meant to detract from an impressive run. The might be the argument that the overall record of their opponents isn't the greatest and/or they're facing a lot of backup goalies and/or the analytics aren't where they should be, etc. etc. etc.
Some, maybe all, of the above may end up being true either for a portion of a game or like the one against the Tampa Bay Lightning, nearly the entire game, but the fact of the matter is, the Buffalo Sabres are "King of the Mountain" right now and no one has been able to knock them off.
A key point to make in all of this is that Buffalo isn't catching any teams off guard as the opposition is prepared to bring their 'A-game'. Take Buffalo's latest , the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs came to KeyBank Center last night having given up five goals in each of their last two games, both losses. "There's two parts to the game," said Habs coach Claude Julien prior to yesterday's game. "and defense is an important part as well.
"I've been saying it over and over again, we're giving up too much on the defensive side of the game. It goes back to a commitment to closing the play quickly, a commitment to take pride in our defensive game."
Montreal did that for large chunks of the game against Buffalo yesterday despite giving up 40 Sabres shots and allowing three goals. The Canadiens gave up the first goal 12:39 into the game and did a good job of doing what Julien asked, being quick to the puck on defense and closing the play throughout much of the rest. They did, however, have their moments of trepidation and goalie Antti Niemi had to come up with some big saves which included one that was described by TSN announcers as "not textbook." That type of attention to the defensive side of the equation allowed for Montreal to score two unanswered goals and keep a one-goal lead until late in the third period.
However, they couldn't finish the Sabres off something four other teams failed to do. Buffalo started this run coming from behind to beat Montreal back on November 10. After the Canadiens, the Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets, Minnesota Wild, Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal again yesterday all had third period leads on the Sabres. None of them could hold it. Buffalo tied the game every time and five of those six, including the Canadiens twice, were decided after regulation.
Luck has been on their side a couple of times during this streak, which isn't surprising. In a game of inches things have been going Buffalo's way, but luck is often a by-product of hard work and the Sabres to a man are putting in that work. They're creating opportunities to go along with those bounces and playing an incredibly poised game, especially for a team that has a very young core. The Sabres are also getting contributions from up and down the lineup even if, as in the case of the fourth line, it's not so much on offense.
Perhaps the hottest line in the league right now is Buffalo's top line featuring Jack Eichel and Jeff Skinner and with the game in the balance with less than three minutes to go in regulation, who broke through for the game-tying goal? Who else but Skinner who has 10 goals during this eight-game winning streak (including three multi-goal games) and is now tied for the league lead with 17 goals on the season.
When he's not using his figure skating moves to create open ice, Skinner is the type of player that finds those soft spots and has the skill to finish. It's exactly what he did on his first goal as Niemi left a long rebound off of a Zach Bogosian shot from the point and a slight tip from Sam Reinhart, who replaced Jason Pominville on the top line with about five minutes to go. A quick reposition of his skates and Skinner was lifting a backhand into an open net from 15' out to tie the score at 2-2 with 2:26 left in regulation.
And Skinner's goal in overtime?
Poise, patience and sniping. With all four Canadiens in pure desperation mode in the crease.
That's the kind of roll Buffalo is on right now and they'll look to continue their longest winning streak since October, 2006 tonight as the head to Hitsville, U.S.A., home of the Detroit Red Wings The Atlantic Division foes split last season with Buffalo winning once at home (1-0) and once on the road (3-2, OT.) Overall the Sabres are 5-4-1 vs. Detroit in their last 10 games, 4-5-1 on the road.
Buffalo will be facing a Red Wings team that has been hot as of late. Before last night's 3-1 loss at Washington vs. the Capitals, Detroit had won six of their last seven games and nine of 11. The Red Wings had an atrocious 1-7-2 start to the season (0-5-2 in their first seven games) but seem to be clicking very well which includes a four-game winning streak at Little Caesar's Arena.
Buffalo has won four games in a row on the road during this streak and with a win tonight, according to Sabres PR, will have the longest in-season road-winning streak since the '06/'07 Sabres won 10 road games in a row.
Speaking of that '06/'07 team, most believe that there hasn't been this much excitement in downtown Buffalo since those days some 12 years ago. It's been a long, arduous crawl out of the abyss with many setbacks and pratfalls along the way but props to the fans at KeyBank as they hung in there. The last two games they've been fully engaged in their team and as a group are helping propel their team along. It's been a long time coming and you know they're into it when the Sabres PK unit stymies the Canadiens powerplay for :40 seconds to start the third period and the applause was just short of a standing ovation.
The interest and excitement is spreading throughout Western New York as evidenced by the 13.8 TV rating on NBSCN for the Sabres/Philadelphia Flyers game at KeyBank on Wednesday. That rating nearly doubled the Sabres season average of 7.0 in games prior.
Fans in Sabreland are in the moment and enjoying this run as are the Sabres. Captain Eichel said as much to the gathered media post-game yesterday. "We're enjoying it for sure. We don't want to lose," he said. "I mean who want's to lose? You want to go out and try to win every game you play." But he's also keeping things in perspective. "We've got a tough game tomorrow against Detroit a team that's been playing really well.
"We'll definitely enjoy this come-from-behind win and savor it but it's really a quick turn around so we can't dwell on it too much. We've got to get ready to play a good team tomorrow."
Buffalo will visit Detroit tonight for the last game of a pretty grueling stretch where they finish up a nine-games-in-17-days schedule (including a three-games-in-four-nights road trip) with a back-to-back finish to a three-games-in-four-nights end to the week.
Luckily they're young, on a roll and feeling it.
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