The snow began falling a few hours before face-off tonight but that didn’t deter the well traveled Leaf fans from rolling into HSBC Arena in hopes of breaking a 6 game losing streak in Buffalo. Much like last night the Sabres started fast and looked fast. A little over 3 minutes in Pommer took a great backhand pass by Vanek to net his 12th of the season. Pommer is going to have his work cut out for him though, to hit the 20-goal mark this season. The best player on the ice tonight by far was Druuuuu Stafford. 2 minutes after Pommer gave the Sabres a 1-0 lead Stafford made a great little spin away from the Leafs D dropping a pass to Leopold who quickly found Staff camped at the side of the net to one time home his 16th of the year, on the power play giving the Sabres a 2-0 lead. Déjà vu begins setting in for most Sabres fans after the team blew a 2-0 lead last night in Pittsburgh.
Not to worry though, the Sabres defense was pinching in at the points and even at center ice on Leafs breakouts. The forwards were fore-checking and keeping pressure on the vulnerable Leafs. The fore check and the pinching by defense has been absent from this team most of the season. The Leafs rookie goalie Reimer making only his 10th NHL start did appear a bit shaky but the Leafs defense didn’t do much of anything to help his situation. A late power play by the Leafs in the 1st gave them a chance to get back in this game. Some good puck movement with Versteeg and Kessel to no avail. Only the beginning of a long night of struggles for Kessel.
The Leafs opened the 2nd strong and with a lot of energy quickly diffused by a well-placed timeout by Lindy. Goose decided to join the party and add some value other than winning face offs, taking a drop pass from Grier and wristing home his 7th. Trying to answer, Kessel gets a breakaway but Miller is a goal scorer’s least favorite guy to see on a breakaway. After every whistle the Leafs were taking shots at the Sabres biggest, badest, and most agitating player, the 5’5 Gerbe. This guy plays with a heart of a lion yet somehow only had 11 minutes of ice time while Chokin Broken Hecht had 19 minutes again.
To make it a 4-0 lead on the power play again Buffalo strikes with some great puck movement by Stafford and Vanek to find TC all alone in front for his 7th and hopefully final goal as a Sabre. The Leafs Kulemin answered with a shorty for his 18th. And finally the rough stuff was inevitable. Komisarek was being a rat all game until McCormick gave him an overdue pounding. There will always be a place on my roster for a guy like this, he doesn’t watch his back, he watches everyone elses back.
Stafford continued his assault of the Leafs. Back checking hard takes the puck off Kessels stick turning up ice and making a nifty little cut into the slot and a wicked wrister the Remeir didn’t have a chance on. Pull the poor kid already. Stafford in 25 games vs Leafs 12 goals, 11 assists. Pommer took his usual lazy penalty and paid the price with a dirty elbow of a frustrated Phaneuf who some how avoids the sin bin with his cheap shot. Horrible no call. Looked like Kessel was benched the last 5 minutes of the 2nd for his sloppy play.
Laffs outshot 18-8 in the 2nd.
Finally they put in Giguere for the 3rd and between periods Kaleta showed up wearing a Vanek jersey with back-to-back booming hits, first on Grabovski then Kulemin. Where has that been? Shortly after, Beauchemin feathered in a wrister for his 2nd of the year making it 5-2. Vanek then finished the scoring getting his own rebound on his patented breakaway slap shot.
Sabres with a 6-2 win and the Canes winning 4-3 in OT vs the Thrash, now sit 5pts back of the 8th and final spot with 2 games in hand on the Canes.
This loss dropped the Leafs losing streak at HSBC to 7 straight with the Sabres scoring 30 goals to the leafs 12 in that time. And bringing the lack of rivalry up to 29-9-1 since the 05’-06’ season.
Kanes take on the “Untouchables” List
Stafford
Meyers
Ennis
Roy (I know, I know, I can’t believe I included him either but he is putting up the pts to match his contract, like few others)
Join the Discussion:
»