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Carter Huggin'

November 13, 2018, 10:49 PM ET [13 Comments]
GARTH'S CORNER
NHL news by Garth • RSSArchiveCONTACT









Carter Hutton has waited 6 seasons for his oppotunity to earn the a starting goaltender's role in the NHL. Hutton, 32, spent three seasons backing up Pekka Rinne in Nashville. For two seasons he backed up Jake Allen in St. Louis.

Last summer, Sabres GM Jason Botterill signed Hutton to a free agent pact that was predicated on the veteran being a co-starter with prospect Linus Ullamark. Hutton (7-6-1) has taken the net and made it his own. Hutton has a 2.64 GAA and .916 SV%.

On Tuesday night in front of his home fans, Huttin put on a goaltending clinic. Despite being out shot 30-19 shots on goal, the Buffalo Sabres held on to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1.

When the Sabres needed a Hutton to make a huge save to preserve the lead, he did just that.







With starting goalie Louis Domingue on the bench for the extra attacker, Bolts sniper Nikita Kucherov hit not one but two goal posts in the final 90 seconds of regulation play.


They don't ask how.

They ask how many.


Territorially, the Lightning controlled play for much of the night. In the end, it didn't matter.

The Sabres took a 2-0 lead on goals by Jeff Skinner and Kyle Okposo.

Skinner's goal was his 13th goal in his first 18 games as a Sabre. Skinner trails only Boston's David Pastrnak's 16 goals for the NHL goal scoring lead.




Skinner, 26, a pending unrestricted free agent after this season ends, is making a string case for why he deserves a $7M AAV x 7 seasons, like former Sabres sniper Evander Kane signed last summer with San Jose.

Show Skinner the money, Jason Botterill!







Fifteen seconds after Okposo gave the Sabers their 2-goal lead, Lighting forward Anthont Cirelli scored to make it 2-1.

That's as close as the Bolts would get to besting Buffalo.

Full credit to Sabres starting goalie Carter Hutton for battling and giving his team a chance to win the nail biter against the number one seed in the Eastern Conference. The Lightning drilled Hutton in the second with a 14-2 shot advantage, but were unable to beat the 32 year old tender.


The win gives the upstart Sabres (10-6-1) 22 points and puts them in a tie for second place in the East.

Winners of three straight games in dramatic fashion over Montreal, Vancouver and Tampa Bay, the Sabres are now 6-2-1 on home ice this season.

What's the big deal?

The Sabres finished 31st in the NHL standings last season.

The Sabres didn't win their sixth game on home ice in the 2017-18 season until January 11, 2018.

Little things mean a lot to Sabres fans.














Raise your hand if you predicted the Sabres would charge out of the gate in aggressive fashion to stun the hockey world.


*Raises hand over head*



The Lightning kept the pressure on Sabres goalie Carter Hutton in the second with a 14-2 shot advantage, but were unable to put one in the net.
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