The Savres needed a hero to help lead them to safety.
Recent serious injuries to Jack Eichel and Evander Kane have exposed the Sabres' vulnerability to aggressive opponents.
Enter the electric Edmonton Oilers whose high octane offense has petrified teams all over the NHL.
Losing Eichel and Kane could not have come at a worse time with Buffalo kicking off a three game western roadie in Edmonton on Sunday night.
It didn't matter who did it or how. Dan Bylsma needed someone to step up and lead the fragile Sabres to their first victory of the 2016-17 season.
Ryan O'Reilly celebrated playing in his 500th NHL game is regal fashion.
O'Reilly scored 2 goals and added 2 assists for his first career 4-point game in Buffalo's 6-2 win over Connor McDavid and Edmonton.
Here ROR pots an Okposo dish for his first goal of the season, a PPG.
It appeared to my eyes that the Oilers had tucked the point points in their jeans before the game even started. In other words, the Oilers refused to take the injury depleted Sabres seriously. Buffalo didn't lament the losses of Jack Eichel and Evander Kane. Nor did they make excuses. They played an inspired 57 minutes of hockey while the Oilers were content to play loose and careless.
In the end, hard work beat talent because talent refused to work hard.
The luck of the Irish was smiling on O'Reilly on this blooper reel goal that broke Cam Talbot's spirit.
Rasmus Ristolainen had three assists.
Captain Brian Gionta scored two goals and Kyle Okposo scored a goal and added an assist in his Buffalo Sabres debut.
Lehner finished with 31 saves while Talbot allowed six goals on 23 shots.
Lehner made his best save of the game at the 90 second mark of the firts period. Rookie Jesse Puljujarvi called for teh puck and let fly a dart that Lehner steered away with his eft pad. If Puljujarvi scores on this play, the Sabres likely would have gone into a defensive shell rather than attack mode.
Okposo is the fifth current Sabre to score on his first shot with the team. Jack Eichel, Husdon Fasching, Zemgus Girgensons and Matt Moulson are also in the elite first game-first shot club.
McDavid was held off the score sheet for teh first time in three games. He entered teh Buffalo game with 3 goals and 3 assists in his first two games of the season against Calgary. Josh Gorges, Rasmus Ristolainen and the Sabres shut down McDavid who was held to 1 shot on goal and was -1 in 18:37 TOI.
After the 6-2 spanking of the Oilers, the Sabres have an 8-4-1 record and a +16 goal differential (44 to 28) in their last 13 games against the Oilers.
Prior to his four point explosion in Edmonton, O'Reilly had nine 3-point performances in his eight year NHL career.
In their 36th visit to Edmonton all-time, the Buffalo Sabres scored 6+ goals for a 3rd time.
Buffalo also accomplished the same feat on January 27, 2009 (winning 10-2) & October 29, 1993 (winning 6-3).
The last player to reach the auspicious 500 game milestone as a member of the Sabres was Matt Moulson, on December 4, 2015 vs. Arizona.
O’Reilly now has 20 points (8G, 12A) in his last 17 games against the Oilers, including at least a point in each of his last three (5G, 4A).
ROR has points in six of his last seven visits to Edmonton, totaling 14 points in that span (4G, 10A).
In his eight year NHL career, O'Reilly, 25, has scored 113 goals has accumulated 310 points. He is respected as one of the best face off men in the NHL. He is a 53% lifetime draw man. He won 56.7% of his draws last season while averaging 21:57 TOI.
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I will be shocked and disappointed if teh NHL Department of Palyer Safety turns a blind eye yo the illegal, egregious elbow that Milan Lucic threw at the jaw of Kyle Okpos during the second period on Sunday night.
It was a greasy, dangerous hit. Lucic knew exactly what he was doing when he targeted Okposo's head with a chicken wing. Operative word: "chicken".
Lucic was not assessed a penalty for his careless, puck act.
Soeaking of greasy and dangerous hits, Oilers D Eric Gryba threw a cowardly slewfoot/knee at Sabres center Sanson Reinhart in the third period of Sunday night's game. Gryba received a double minor for the cowardly hit on Reinhart.
I'm calling on the Deartment of Player Safety to call Lucic abd Gryba for individual hearings to answer for their actions. I want Lucic suspended for one game. I want to see Gryba suspended for two games.
On Thursday night, Montreal forward Andrew Shaw threw a slewfoot at Buffalo forward Johan Larsson. The play occurred with just threee second remaining in the 4-1 Habs win.
Shaw was assessed a major for his punk actions, however, DPS refused to review the Shaw incident. Thus, no supplemental discipline.
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The Sabres will play Calgary on Tuesday night. They will play in Vancouver on Thursady night.
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