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Vanek Feasts For Thanksgiving |
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Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families.
On Thanksgiving Eve, college kids and ex-pats converged on Buffalo to spend their holiday with their family and friends. Thomas Vanek came home to Buffalo and put on a show for his friends and fans.
Robin Lehner was one of few poeple in the building who didn't see it coming.
I had the pleasure of covering Vanek for the first ten season of his career in Buffalo. In that time, I witnessed him perform some serious shock and awe tactics and on opposing goalies.
On Thanksgiving Eve, Vanek reached into his bag of tricks and paid homage to his youthful days as a rookie in Buffalo in 2005-06.
Vanek, in his second game back after missing eleven with a strained hip muscle, committed a double minor penalty at the end of the first period. The Sabres began the second period with 3:19 of power play time on a glistening sheet of fresh ice. The Sabres entered the game with an 8 for 32 (25 percent) success rate on the PP. The Sabres were largely ineffective on zone entries and failed to make Jimmy Howard and Vanek pay for the four minute penalty. Every fan in the house could taste a power play goal. Sabre shaed coach Dan Bylsma did the Red Wings a favor by moving his number one defenseman and number one power play QB Rasmus Ristolainen to the second unit. Journeyman Taylor Fedun took Ristoalinen's spot at on the number one unit. Ristoalinen played only 1:19 TOI of the four minute PP. Big mistake by Bylsma, in my opinion. Ristolainen has nine points this season and 7 PP assists.
Instead of sitting down to an all you can eat power play buffet with all the fixi, the Sabreswalked away from the Thanksgiving table with hunger pains and acid reflux.
Not Vanek.
The Austrian Assassin was spared the embarassment of skating from the penalty box to the players bench while the Sabres and their fans cleared their throats.
That, my friends was the turning point in the game.
After the game, Vanek said that he wanted to score for his team. He wanted it all the more after he committed his double minor.
Vanek told me that he felt his play was sloppy in the first period. He said that one he settled down, he found his groove in the final forty minutes with his new linemates Dyland Larkin and Gustav Nyquist.
The first time I witnessed Vanek's lethal shootout weapon was during Buffalo Sabres training camp. August 2005. Vanek made Ryan Miller do a double take as he was beaten glove high by his sharp-shooting Austrian teammate. Jaws dropped in amazement when Vanek broke out his signature move when he played in Buffalo.
On Wedneday night, Vanek went back to the future and broke out his legenday "Around The World" shootout move which beat Lehner clean. Buffalo fans on their feet and booing, Vanek used his copyrighted shootout move to silence the crowd and sent his Red Wings to a much needed victory.
Typical Vanek.
He closed the show in dramatic fashion.
The win in Buffalo snapped Detroit's five game losing streak.
After the game, I reminded Vanek that we had seen that move before. Vanek told me that his move was inspred by the boos.
Vanek played ten smemorable easons in Buffalo. He said that it felt to be back in Buffalo. Yes, he heard the boos. He shrugged them off and silenced the partisan crowd.
Vanek gave the Red Wings the 1-0 lead with this breathtaking no look pass to Gustav Nyquist. The Ryan Sproul quick up found Vanek whose spinning no-look dart hit Nyquist's tape.
Understandably, Lehner looked perplexed on the Vanek-Nyquist collaboration.
Lehner is 0-2 in shootouts this season. He is a subpar 7-13 in his career. Lehner has allowed 28 goals in 64 attempt. The Big Swede's .563 save percentage leaves a lot to be desired.
Lehner said after the Wings loss that he continues to work on shooutouts during practices. He said that he is making save on shootout attempts in practice. Why can't he stop the puck when it counts?
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Buffalo travels to Washington for a 5pm matinee on Black Friday.
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