Is there anything better than Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams having his moment in the sun?
The 12 yr. Bills vet had been a beacon of professionalism throughout Buffalo's long, 17-year playoff drought which finally ended on New Years Eve with a Buffalo win and a Cincinnati Bengals upset of the Baltimore Ravens. In a game the Bills had to win on the final day of the 2017 NFL season, Williams was given the ball on a first and goal at the one, scored his first career touchdown then proceeded to lead one of the best touchdown celebrations we've seen all season:
(video from Highlight Haven)
After the Bills beat the Miami Dolphins to finish the regular season 9-7, it was off to the locker room for some scoreboard watching and this reaction (plus some additional cheering from Bills fans) after Bengals scored the game-winning touchdown on a fourth and 12 with :44 seconds left in the fourth quarter:
We're two days removed from that glorious finish but videos relating to the Kyle Williams and the celebrations are still goosebumps-worthy.
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How do you top that?
The Buffalo Sabres had an opportunity to at least keep the celebration rolling with a New Year's Day outdoor clash against the NY Rangers in the 10th annual NHL Winter Classic, but unfortunately they came up just short in a 3-2 overtime loss.
Whether it was the 20 degree temperature at game-time, the gusty wind, a military fly-over or the overall enormity of them being in the lone NHL game of the day in front of 41,000+ fans at Citi Field in The Big Apple, the Sabres found themselves in a hole. After falling behind 2-0 in the first period they clawed their way back with goals early in the second and third periods to take the game to overtime. But it ended when they allowed a powerplay goal to the Rangers in overtime.
Some notes on that game:
--We've heard plenty about the outdoor game losing it's luster, but for a fan whose team is actually playing, it doesn't. It was a hell of an event and an extremely well played game that ultimately could've gone either way.
--The Winter Classic sweaters designed by Adidas were outstanding for both the Sabres and the Rangers.
--"Doc" Emerick is considered to be one of the best announcers in the game. And rightfully so. His knowledge of the game and the players is top-notch and he can roll with the game as good as anybody. However, with all due respect to him, his play-by-play does not allow the game to breathe. Emerick is a wordsmith who's constant barrage of words and phrases describing nearly every name and nearly every moment becomes overbearing. At times it comes off as like he's more interested in displaying his knowledge than harmonizing with the flow of the game. Emerick's calls would be great for radio, but they seemingly smother the television audience.
--About mid-way through the Winter Classic, I was finally left with the impression that this group of Sabres players is finally looking like a team. Too bad it took 38 1/2 games for it to be so. The holes are still there in the lineup and they still have plenty to learn, but these players are finally developing some chemistry amongst themselves, which is great moving forward. Unfortunately, that might not last long as the next big NHL moment is the trade deadline and it's expected that some Sabres will be on the move.
--The "Ref-cam" was very cool in this game getting us as close to the action as possible. But where was it when Buffalo's Evander Kane got whacked in the face by a rough and rather obvious high stick that left Kane crumbled on the ice trying to regain his faculties. Oddly enough there was no gathering of officials to see if anyone saw what happened, which is something we've seen before and on occasion a penalty will be called. After Kane got up you could see blood pouring from the bridge of his nose and when they showed a profile shot there was a huge lump forming. It was an egregious non-call and you have to wonder: did the ref not see it, or did they just bury the tape from the "Ref-cam?
--Rasmus Ristolainen has goals in consecutive games and has been looking strong in the process. He played 26:00 yesterday had a goal and an assist and was a plus-1. In a curious move, Ristolainen was on the ice for only one shift (:33) in overtime last night.
--That was one of a few head-scratchers from Sabres head coach Phil Housley with the big one being, why was fourth-line center Jacob Josefson on the ice in overtime? Not sure what Housley was thinking on that one, but Josefson? Wouldn't you want to play your best players as much as possible in the five-minute, 3-on-3 overtime session?
--Kyle Okposo assisted on both Buffalo goals yesterday and was hard on the puck all game and it looked as if he had finally recovered from his off-season health issues. Okposo would have been a better pick than Josefson for the overtime and so would Benoit Pouliot who has the speed to play in overtime. Neither touched the ice. For as much as the players get hammered for Buffalo's poor start to the season, Housley's been making rookie mistakes all season long as well.
--Housley also had Marco Scandella on the ice with the Rangers on the powerplay in overtime. Ristolainen had plenty of time to rest and is the team's best defenseman. Not sure why wasn't on the ice either as he's been known to clear the crease, which is exactly where the game-winning goal came from?
--The Sabres' powerplay looked better, but on the whole, it still isn't anywhere close to where it should be.
Buffalo has back-to-back games on the road at Minnesota on Thursday and Winnipeg on Friday and will play at 1pm on Sunday in Philadelphia, which is the same time the Bills will be playing in their first playoff games since 1999.
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Western New York hockey fans can still see game-action today as the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championships continue downtown with quarterfinal elimination games.
Five Sabres prospects will be on the ice today:
12pm--G, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Finland take on D, Vojtech Budik and the Czechs
6pm--Forwards Alexander Nylander and Marcus Davidson lead Team Sweden against Slovakia
8pm--C, Casey Mittelstadt and Team USA are up against Russia
Mittelstadt and the Americans got this weekend rolling with a tough come-from-behind win over Canada on Friday in the first outdoor game in WJC history. On a cold, blustery evening at New Era Field, home of the Buffalo Bills, Mittelstadt set up two US third period goals to tie the score at 3-3 with Team USA eventually winning in the shootout.
Mittelstadt has been the unquestioned star pf the event thus far while leading the tournament in scoring with nine points (4+5) in four games.
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That win on Friday was the first of four big wins for WNY sports fans over the weekend.
On Saturday the Sabres beat the Metropolitan Division leading New Jersey Devils in overtime on Ristolainen's first goal of the season and the surging Rochester Americans took over first place in the AHL's Eastern Conference with a 2-0 shutout win in Toronto against the Marlies. And, of course, the Bills finally ended their 17-year playoff drought on Sunday.
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