Last Friday morning, after the Sabres had skated, I chatted with Tyler Ennis about his recent success with new line mates Marcus Foligno and Drew Stafford.
The talented centremen, with rockstar hair, told me with his trademark cheshire cat smile
"We're getting pucks inside the D zone and we are getting chances while we are there", Ennis told me. Ennis has the added confidence of knowing that his line mates will be there to add protection if he goes to the danger zone with a puck on his stick.
"They (Stafford and Foligno) are both big and the have excellent shots. All I have to do is get them the puck".
In the past 5 games (Tampa, Florida, Colorado, Montreal, and Ottawa), the Foligno-Ennis-Stafford lines has exploded for 25 point and is a combined +22 !!
It can be THAT simple.
Foligno has 5 goals and 2 assists and is +6.
Ennis hs 4 goals and 5 assists and is +9
Stafford has 2 goals and 7 assists and is +7.
Is there a hotter, more dominant line in the NHL right now?
Three young guys, who genuine like and support one another one the ice.
After the trouncing of Tampa, Ruff suggesed that the other three Sabres lines should observe and follow the lead of the 82-63-21 line. Ruff said that its noticeable how Foligno-Ennis-Stafford have each others' back each and every shift. From puck support to moral support, these guys are there to support one another.
In the post game locker room, Foligno spoke like a veteran when he said:
"Those are the games you don’t really want to let off the gas pedal because you don’t know when you’re going to get another game like that," he said. "It was great."
Enzomatic and his buds took total control of the Tampa Lightning, collaborating on three goals and seven points. Stafford had two goals and an assist. Foligno scored twice to give him to five in his most recent this five-game call-up. Ennis added two assists.
On Sunday morning, following the Sabres practice in Tampa, Lindy Ruff said that he needed his "difference makers" to be difference makers in the team's final ten games.
Ruff said pointedly that his guys are being paid to bury chances, not to create them.
On Monday night, his squad responded in rapid-fire fashion.
The Sabres kept pace with the Capitals in their pursuit of the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference by defeating the Lightning 7-3 in Tampa.
Captain Jason Pominville and uber-rookie Marcus Foligno each potted two goals, while Cody Hodgson, Drew Stafford, Thomas Vanek and Tyler Ennis each recorded two assists as Buffalo notched goals from five different "difference makers".
Ryan Miller stopped 23 of 26 shots for his 26th win of the season.
The Capitals beat the Red Wings, 5-3. They now have 80 points and lead the Sabres by two points. Buffalo's win gives the 78 points, good enough for ninth place, two points better than the Jets. Though they don't gain ground on Washington, the Sabres do create needed separation between the 10-13 ranked teams.
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Tampa head coach, Guy Boucher, has seen better play from his team.
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