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Sabres Going Back To The Future |
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The Buffalo Sabres are going back to the future.
If I didn't know any better, I would have thought the 2005-06 Sabres team had taken the ice for the first two games of the 50th Anniversary season.
It's beginning to look a lot like Lindy Ruff's highly entertaining team that terrorized opponents with speed, skill and relentless pressure from post-lockout season of 2005-06.
On Saturday night, inside a sold out barn, the Sabres debuted their new gorgeous new Golden Anniversary sweaters and gear while they demolished the Devils in their home opener.
The opening night festivities began with a well deserved extended standing ovation for Hall of Fame play-by-play man Rick Jeanneret, who introduced fifteen former Buffalo Sabres captains who were in attendance. "RJ" amped up the crowd even more when he introduced the 2019-20 Sabres players.
Legendary Buffalo Bills play-by-play man Van Miller would have called the Sabres' pregame ceremony "fandemonium' at it's finest.
On the ice, the swashbuckling, high-tempo, lamp lighting offense of the Sabres appeared for the second game in a row.
The 2019-20 vintage of the Buffalo Sabres have drubbed their first two opponents in the Pittsburgh Penguins and New Jersey Devils and have let it be known that they are for real.
When the final horn sounded, the Sabres scored a touchdown on the Devils and sent their energized fans home with sore throats from screaming so loudly.
How are the Sabres accomplishing their offensive goals this early in the season? They are using their speed to pressure to apply heavy pressure on the puck which is causing opponents to turnover pucks. The Sabres killed the Penguins and Devils with lightning fast transitions off the turnovers they created. They are getting odd man rush chances galore and are taking the puck to the net with confidence and regularity.
Also, their power play (66.7%) and penalty kill (85.7%) are performing brilliantly and they are dominating possession at even strength.
Against the Devils, the Sabres scored two more power play goals. The Buffalo power play is now 4 for 6 (66.7%) and is #1 in the NHL today.
Victor Olofsson scored two power play goals and Jack Eichel added another as the Buffalo Sabres went 3-for-4 with the man advantage against the Devils. At even strength, Samson Reinhart scored twice and Kyle Okposo and Jeff Skinner also lit the lamp. Buffalo's three goal second period sealed the fate for the Devils, who on Friday night, choked away a 4-0 secone period and then eventually lost 5-4 in the shootout to the Winnipeg Jets.
Saturday night's seven-goal explosion was the second-highest goal total ever scored by the Sabres in a home-opener, trailing only the team's 9-5 win on October 10, 1974 against the Boston Bruins.
Ralph Krueger became just the fourth Sabres head coach ever to earn wins in both of his first two games as the team's head coach, joining Marcel Pronovost (October 13-15, 1977), Scotty Bowman (October 11-13, 1979) and Jim Roberts (December 9-12, 1981).
Thanks, Buffalo Sabres
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