Go ahead and admit it. You weren't feeling good about Buffalo's chances as they headed into the cauldron vs. a Tampa team that had won 7 of their last 8 games. Stamkos, Vinny, and Marty have been lighting it up night after night. Its okay, you are not alone. Buffalo entered this one 10-4-1 in their past 15, and you could kind of rationalize that this game could be a stinker, especially since the Sabres went ohfer Florida in December.
Tampa struck first. Stafford answered. Tampa scored the next two, and planted a seed of doubt in the minds of the Sabres. Then late in the second period, Thomas Vanek hulked up and thwarted the momentum back to Buffalo's favour. Vanek's goal could not have come at a better time. It gave his team a psychological lift heading into the intermission. Better to start the third period down 3-2 rather than down by two pucks. Vanek's goal was just what the doctor ordered.
Early in the third period, all Hell broke loose! Drew Stafford ducked into a phone booth in the lobby of the arena, and emerged as a man of the Buffalo people! Stafford activated his 6'2" frame and wreaked havoc in the Tampa end of the rink.
This game changed for good in a Western New York minute in one high impact sequence that saw Steve Downie use the aggressive Stafford as a bowling ball against Tampa goalie Dwayne Roloson. Staff drove the blue and begged Downie to engage in physical contact. Downie obliged by knocking Stafford headlong into the veteran goalie to the ice, just as Jordan Leopold labled a laser into the wide open Tampa net.
3-3 and momentum shifts to Buffalo's favour. Game ovah!
Roloson and Downie just about lost their minds and demanded a review of the play by the officials. The call on the ice was "good goal". No review. Roloson, Downie, and coach Guy Boucher demanded a review. None given.
The Bolts implosion as a result of the non-penalty call, was telling. Young team with a rookie coach. Boucher should have called his team to the bench for a head check. Instead, his team caved in and in the process revealed that they can be very tempermental when the going gets tough. Lets see how opponents handle Roloson moving down the stretch to the Playoffs. As witnessed in his career in Buffalo, Edmonton , and on the Islland, a nudge or an incidental bump can get the veteran to lose his cool.
Buffalo would go on to score four more time in lightning fast fahsion. As Tampa unraveled, Buffalo took advantage of the turnovers and they capitalized on the dumb Tampa penalties.
The Sabres (55 points) now occupy 10th place, three points behing free falling Atlanta (58 points). Buffalo have four games in hand on Atlanta. Carolina (59 points) are all alone in 8th place, however, Buffalo have two games in hand on them.
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Stafford scored three goals for the third time in his last 19 games.
Thanks to Jessie Pegula for this tasty new riff. Check out Jessie's blog, "Between The Pegs' at http://jpegula.blogspot.com/
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Today, Colin Campbell can throw the book at NHL Public Enemy #1, Matt Cooke.
Cooke left his skates, lifted himself off the ice, and buried the unsuspecting Tyutin's face off the glass. Cooke is a punk and needs to be reminded of what the rules of the game are. It was just Sunday when Cooke went knee on knee with Ovechkin in Washington.
Cooke plays like he's above the laws of the game. Its time to throw the book at Cooke.
If Dan Paille received four games for blindsiding Sawada of the Stars, then Cooke deserves ten for his flagrant foul on Tyutin.
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