Waiting for the Sabres rooms to open, I overheard a member of the Sportsnet West crew comment:
"Buffalo looks like they are playing Playoff hockey... its only October".
Aptly put.
"It isn't pretty, but it's working", Teppo Numminen said of the Sabres all-in posture on creating offensive chances with stifling, often time relentless team defense. They won't leave their zone until they have possession of the puck. From there, they are surgically cutting apart opposing teams D with quick, short, tape to tape passes. All the while, their feet are moving.
"The great thing is that we are getting this from all four lines. When that happens, its hard to defend us", Jaro Spacek told me.
The Sabres are playing with a fever and they are content to sacrifice their run-n-gun ways in lieu of a tried and true approach that has yielded 8 points in their first four games. Gone are the days when the Sabres would get a one and done in the other team's end, only to have the opposing D throw the 9-route to create the odd man rush in on Miller while his forwards and D were stuck in the neutral zone in hot pursuit of the puck. Have we seen an odd man rush on Miller or Lalime yet this season? No.
"Our forwards are buying in and they are coming back to our end as hard as they went in on the attack", Captain Craig Rivet told me.
Sabre forwards are back checking like junkyard dogs, and they are elimination time and space for their opposition. this allows the D to get sticks and bodies in the shot lanes. Most importantly, the Sabres D are not running around in their own end.
Leaving points on the table in close games cost them a Playoff seed in 07/08. To a man, the Sabres have vowed not to get fooled again.
Al Kotalik has bought stock in the new approach in. He's hitting, cycling, skating and defending better than he ever has in his NHL career. He's not convinced that the Sabres have achieved the pinnacle of defensive success yet.
Each line has its own level of pride these days. When all four lines are clicking, the end result is what we've seen in the first four games. 5 goals againt in 4 games is very impressive. The Sabres are not about to rest on their laurels.
"I think our line (Mair and Max) have some things to clean up. We were scored against (vs. Vancouver). We've got to clean those little things up. Adam's playing great fpr Tim Connolly and Max is playing well, too".
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Buffalo eneter tonight's match 18 for 18 on the PK.
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I'm thinking we see Lalime and Hedberg tonight.
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The scariest thing of all about this Buffalo success is that they are winning without the offensive prowess of Derek Roy, Drew Stafford and Jason Pominville. they are getting offense from all four lines, and they do not have to rely solely on their snipers right now. This is not a shot against 9, 21 and 29. They have been gutting out every shift, winning puck battles and maximizing zone time and puck possession.
Just wait til they start lighting the lamp. It'll look like a pinata at a bitrthday party when that moment happens!
My prediction:
Tonight it will happen for 9, 21 and 29.
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