However, the Buffalo Sabres sent a message to the Philadelphia Flyers and the rest of the NHL today that they are not the same old skilled, easy to push around team that they were at times last season.
On Sunday, the Sabres packed their lunch pails and their coffee thermos and they delivered an impressive, working man's day the office.
The Sabres struck first.
The Flyers tied, it and then took the lead.
Then, Thomas Vanek, Cody Hodgson and Jason Pominville led the Buffalo comeback blitzkrieg.
During the lockout, Vanek played 11 games in his hometown of Graz, Austria. Vanek scored five goals and added eleven assist in the eleven games. On Sunday, he looked like he was in mid-season form:
Thanks, nhl.com
Thomas Vanek was a one man scoring machine in the season opener. He played like a man possessed. Vintage Vanek.
Buffalo's top line of Vanek-Hodgson-Pominville clicked for 9 points on Sunday. The trio dominated the Flyers with puck possession.
Buffalo were 3 for 6 on the PP.
HDTV scored two goals and three assists today. Pommer added three assists, while Hodgson scored a goal.
Vanek, Pominville and Hodgson were full value in the first game of the season. The power trio pocked up where it left off last season.
Despite the five point explosion by Vanek , Hodgson, in my opinion, was Buffalo's best player vs. Philly. His skating was terrific. His play making was been remarkable. His vision and awareness were superb.
Steve Ott has had a couple of “pinch-me” moments already in his brief, but productive Buffalo Sabres career.
“I couldn’t believe it. When I looked at this team, right away, in my belief system, we’ve got one of the best goalies in the league in Ryan Miller. We’ve got one of the biggest D corps in the NHL as well with great. moving defensemen as well. You look at our top six (forwards) and yes we’ve got two young centres, but those two young centremen are some of the best two centremen that are coming up. Build throughout this team, you’ve got sandpaper, size, and its going to be a lot of fun playing here, and hopefully we can keep this ball rolling”.
Otter loves Buffalo even more than Buffalo loves Otter. He told me earlier this week that he is honored to be a part of a Sabres team, that he feels, will be a Cup contender this season.
“It felt great. Pommer set the table and I tried to get it on net, then it went in. To be honest with you, uyou always worry about when you’ll score your first goal , and to get that monkey off your back right away felt pretty good”.
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On Drew Stafford hulking up to challenge an experienced NHL heavyweight in Hartnell:
“Absolutely. I though it was truly awesome. He (Stafford) has a big letter “A” on that jersey and whet he showed there, sticking up for a teammate (Ennis) showed the true character of this Buffalo Sabres team. For a teammate to step up there after seeing a couple of our guys get hit from behind like that (by Hartnell) was great. Staff stepped up against a tough guy and Staff proved how strong he is. As a teammate looking at it, and obviously being in those situations before, I was really proud of him”
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On the embellishment penalty that he was tagged with in the game, Ott rolled with it:
“ (laughing) I don‘t know, when you’ve got your eyes pointed at a loose puck off the face off , and you want to score and you get water-skied a little but, its one of those reactions that obviously, they’re (refs) are learning out there too like we are too in this shortened season and everyone’s a little rusty. Who knows? Everyone goes through it and I ain’t hatin’ on anybody right now, its too early. Ya know what? Who cares? We won 5-2”.
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I told Ott that Grigo told me that playing with Ott makes the young Russian play "bigger".
Ott chuckled and said:
"I feel bigger with him out there. That kid's a beast already! Ya know, he set the table, and I feel a little bit bad because I had a "gimme" the on the side of the net (off Grigo's slick pass). I wish I woulda put it in for the kid. This kid is going to be real good, and I thnk it started tonight when people are going to start recognizing his name in a heart beat. If I can stick with Grigo for a little while, obviously I will ride his coat tails"
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On finding common ground with Grigo:
"I think the instant chemistry that he and I have found is great. We had a couple of hard practices and day by day, he's gotten better. His experience is going to be key. Obviously tomorrow we have to go back to back and go right to Toronto. For a young kid, he;s learning on the fly which is fun to watch. he;s handling it great. I thought he was dynamite in his first NHL game, and hopefully he'll have many more to come".
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Ott told me in training camp that his mother grew up a Toronto maple Leafs fan. Sabres play Leafs Monday night in Toronto. I asked Otter who his mother will be cheering for.
"I'll tell you right now who she'll be cheering for. Me! Today was her birthday and obviously it was a big one, now she;s off to Toronto with Dad, and now they are big Sabres fans!
Mikhail Grigorenko's first NHL game was one that Sabres fans won't soon forget.
The kid played like a man against a heavy hockey opponent.
“The most important thing is that we won. I think that I played a simple game. I created a few scoring chances and I feel like it was a great learning experience for me”
Grigo told me that he once his nerves settled down, he was able to focus in on his assignments.
Grigo played 11:13 in TOI. He took two shots, made several beautiful passes, like the one he threw across the box to Ott that nearly ended up behind Bryzgalov. He finished the day -1.
All in all, Grigo played a strong game.
“I was nervous on my first shift, buy then after that, I settled down. Those first two shifts were important for me”. Grigo only saw 2:50 of ice time in period one, due largely to the fact that the Sabres PP and PK units were very active. After the game, Lindy Ruff said that he was pleased with Grigo’s performance, as he played a simple game and defended well.
Grigorenko seems to to stick to Steve Ott like Velcro on the ice, and the two nearly connected for goals in the game
“He (Ott) makes me play with a lot of confidence because he’s always looking out for me. He’s a very good player, and he scored a very important goal for us”.
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Grigo told me:
" I only want to play here in Buffalo. I want to play more games with the Sabres and help then team win".
Earlier this week, I said that Bryzgalov would not be better than Miller in this game. I was right. Vanek was humangous beeg, while Bryz was less ordinary
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