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NHL – Sabres’ Resurgence

16 Nov

For the second straight time in HSBC Arena last night, the Buffalo Sabres gave their home fans something to cheer about. After Thomas Vanek’s highlight reel goal in overtime beat the Washington Capitals in the previous game, Tyler Myers swiped the puck and beat the goaltender with a quick shot to beat Vancouver, 4-3 on Monday. After an 0-6-1 start on home ice, Buffalo is finally starting to get their bearings at the Arena, and also overall. They’ve had to do it the hard way, as they’ve gone to overtime and/or shootouts in their last five starts. In those games they’ve collected 9 out of a possible 10 points in the standings, losing only to Martin Biron and the Rangers in OT. When a team is struggling to find its’ way, usually getting back on track doesn’t come easy, they have to battle their way out of it, and to their credit, the Sabres have. Myers, who was either totally lost or too busy reading his press clippings from last year early on, has turned his game completely around and become a force, both offensively and defensively, on this current streak. The team had to fight through the loss of goalie Ryan Miller to injury, but they not only did, they turned it into a positive, as Jhonas Enroth, after a shaky start, proved that he can be a viable option in goal if Miller needs rest later in the season. He’s already been sent back to Portland to continue getting playing time, but Enroth may get the call over Patrick Lalime later in the year when needed. One of the best things about the victory over Vancouver last night was that even after blowing a 2-goal lead in the third period, the Sabres didn’t fold, as they did in the playoffs against Boston last year under similar circumstances. They stormed out of the gate in the OT period and dominated play, and were rewarded with Myers’ winning goal. Vanek’s game has been great during this streak, and there’s no doubt this team needs him to be a factor if they are going to continue to climb in the standings. Derek Roy, whose scoring line for the playoffs last year was zeros across the board, seems determined to be a leader on the team this year. He has been the one consistent point producer for the team since the season began. The defense corps had its’ share of lapses early on, but the new players added on the blue line  are getting more comfortable with each other and improving also. Jordan Leopold in particular looks like a great addition. He’s solid defensively and active on the offensive end, and should really help the team’s power play as the season plays out. The Sabres may have dug themselves into too deep of a hole to repeat last season’s division title but fans shouldn’t see that as a disappointment. The goal should be to make sure they qualify for the playoffs, and develop a team with the toughness and confidence to make a run in those playoffs. Part of that development is pulling together as a team to win close games, and the Sabres are beginning to do that.

 
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