The Buffalo Sabres finally broke on through to the other side.
It wasn't easy. It wasn't glamorous.
They don't ask how. They ask how many.
For Phil Housley, the sixth time was the charm. Housley earned his first career NHL head coaching win in his sixth attempt to do so. Housley proudly wore sweater number “6” in his illustrious eight year playing career with the Sabres.
Playing their third game in four nights in the state of California a Sunday stroll down the beach. The Sabres lost in San Jose on Thursday night and dropped a close decision in Los Angeles on Saturday night. They desperately needed a sixty minute effort to earn two points from the Ducks.
In the end, the Sabres finally performed with continuity and consistency.
Rookie NHL head coach Phil Housley had to wait two weeks in order to earn his first NHL career victory. The Sabres are now 1-4-1 on the 2017-18 season after their 3-1 victory in Anaheim.
For the first time this season, Housley observed his team making the smart play with the puck. In many instances, the Sabres defensemen and forwards have turned pucks over via unsafe plays in dangerous areas of the ice. Against the Ducks, the Sabres worked smarter in all three zones and were rewarded as such.
"We didn't put ourselves in a position where we wasted energy going back. Puck decisions were critical for us because of the energy, and once we were in the offensive zone we did a really good job of protecting pucks, wearing them down, and I thought we had that shot mentality," Housley said on the MSG postgame show.
The Sabres finally found puck luck in Anaheim where Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler, Patrick Eaves, Hampus Lindholm, Sami Vatanen and Ryan Miller missed the games due to long-term injuries.
Buffalo native Justin Bailey was recalled for the game on Sunday morning. Bailey flew five hours to SoCal and played an inspirational role in Anaheim. Bailey wasted little time scoring his first goal of the season on his first shot on goal of the season at the 1:26 mark of the first period.
Bailey will injected needed speed, skill and and fore check pressure for the full sixty minutes. At 6’4” and 215 pounds, he can fly. Bailey made quite a name for himself with with a very successful summer of training. His new head coach Phil Housley and new GM Jason Botterill were impressed with Bailey's tenacity and skill at Buffalo’s Development Camp and at September's Prospects Challenge (Sabres, Devils, Penguins, Bruins) tourney. Bailey was one of the last roster cuts. His assignment to AHL Rochester was not a commentary on his efforts at Sabres training camp. Botterill and Housley begrudgingly sent Bailey to Rochester. The kid was told to do his chores and to be ready for to perform when his call to Buffalo eventually came.
Bailey did not disappoint in Anaheim. He used his size and speed to battle his way to the net front to hunt for pucks. On Saturday, Housley cleated his his throat and voiced his displeasure regarding his team’s unwillingness to go to the hard area on the ice. Not all goals will come off the rush. The majority of the goals in today’s NHL are scored from the bottom of the faceoff circles to the edge of the blue ice. Bailey gave Housley an excellent effort in his first game of the Sabres.
Thanks, Sabres TV
After the game, Housley said Bailey would have gotten more ice time in the final thirty minutes of the game had it not been for the four penalties the Sabres took.
"I think we've been preaching on getting pucks to the net and the good results that can come from that," Bailey said after the game. "The play was pretty simple. I came off the bench, we got pucks to the net and caused a little confusion and I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time."
Housley liked Bailey’s pace and persistence.
"I think he provided that spark we needed," Housley said. "Not because he scored, I thought he used his speed well tonight, he was tenacious on the forecheck coming back hard."
At the time of his recall, Bailey was leading the Amerks with two goals in nine shots on goal (22.9%) and is tied for the team lead with a +2 rating through three games in 2017-18.
In 2016-17 the Williamsville, NY product ranked third among Amerks skaters with 23 goals and finished the season with 36 points (23G, 13A) in 52 AHL games.
Buffalo’s second-round pick (52nd overall) in the 2013 NHL Draft, Bailey has registered four points (2G, 2A) in 40 career NHL games for the Sabres during the last two seasons.
Benoit Pouliot and Johan Larsson also scored for Buffalo. Prior to the Anaheim game, only Evander Kane, Jason Pominville, Jack Eichel and Zemgus Girgensons had scored all eleven goals goals for their team. After Sunday night, the Sabres now have seven goal scorers and 14 goals for.
Next stop: Las Vegas in Tuesday night.
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The Sabres power play is a full blown disaster right now. Buffalo allowed its NHL worst fifth shorthanded goal against in Anaheim.
The Sabres are now 2 for 22 (9.1%) on the PP this season with five shorthanded goals against.
Buffalo owned the #1 PP in the NHL (24.5%) last season.
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