The New York Islanders have recently been the most infuriating team to watch the Sabres play against.
For one night, at least, that changed as Victor Olofsson scored the game-winning goal and added an empty netter for good measure to help the Sabres beat the Islanders 6-3 on home ice Tuesday.
The Islanders usually play a low-event brand of hockey in front of future Hall-of-Fame coach Barry Trotz. Last season – perhaps the worst year in Sabres franchise history – the Sabres lost three games in a row against the Islanders during the infamous 18-game losing streak, and each of those games were by an identical 5-2 margin.
Those three back-to-back-to-back games during the truncated 56-game schedule were some of the most brutal, mind-numbing horrible hockey games whereby former head coach Ralph Krueger unsuccessfully attempted to out-bore a pretty boring team. That trio of games within that 18-game stretch was perhaps the absolute lowest point in franchise history, which makes it pretty hard to get excited about watching the Sabres play the Islanders again.
It's no disrespect to Barry Trotz who coaches to win and not to entertain, but man, it can sometimes be a real slog to keep two eyes open during these games.
Mercifully this game started with considerably more pace as the two teams opened the first period with a 5-minute section of hockey that was played without any whistles. Jeff Skinner, Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch (in no particular order) maintained their status as the most dangerous Buffalo forward line with numerous good chances in the opening frame, although it was former New York Islander Kyle Okposo who broke the ice and got the first of the game. Okposo redirected a nifty slap pass from defenseman Casey Fitzgerald who has established himself as a reliable bottom-pairing defensemen over the past few games.
For the opposition, it was the trio of Martin, Clutterbuck and Cizikas who played well during the early going. Those three have for years played a simple, heavy game predicated on grinding down low and throwing the puck on net in the hopes of generating a rebound. It’s effective, even if it’s not pretty hockey. It wasn’t the heavies who got the Isles on the board, though, it Kyle Palmieri who scored to tie things up at one apiece. He got in behind the duo of Henri Jokiharju and Rasmus Dahlin who weren’t doing anything that could be called “good defense… as they were both in no-man’s-land and allowed Anthony Beauvillier to thread a pass across to Palmieri for a tap-in.
The highlight of the first period, and perhaps even the game, was an exchange between Rick Jeanneret and Rob Ray as 79-year-old RJ had to tell Rob Ray who 20-year-old singer Billie Eilish is. Those two were in rare form all night.
RJ, you absolute legend, you will be greatly missed after this season.
The second period started off quickly with a penalty called against Mark Jankowski for interfering with Cizikas in front of the Sabres net on the backcheck. Jankowski was clearly hot as he believed he merely lifted the stick of Cizikas and the Islanders’ forward fell to the ice as a result of a clean play. Jankowski was flirting with another minor for unsportsmanlike conduct while slowly making his way to the penalty box and jawing with the officials all the way there.
Whether Thompson and Dylans Cozens fed on that emotion from Jankowski is hard to say, but the ensuing penalty kill resulted in extensive offensive zone time for the Sabres, and Thompson eventually cashed a rebound on a slap shot from Dylan Cozens. Thompson had previously left the game in the first period for repairs and his goal to start the second was his 16th of the year which leaves him in striking range of Jeff Skinner’s team-leading 20 goals.
It's a refreshing change of direction to see coach Don Granato lean on the young talent to make key plays at key times. Following a penalty to Dylan Cozens, Granato put Thompson, Dahlin, Jokiharju and Rasmus Asplund on the penalty kill with the game tied at 2-2. It would be very easy to throw Cody Eakin, Kyle Okposo and Mark Pysyk out there, but Granato is willing to let the kids learn on the job which is a commendable attitude in yet another lost season.
As the second period continued, Anders Lee drew things even once again following a ripper of a slap shot from Zdeno Chara that found its way past Dustin Tokarski before Lee tracked down the rebound and tucked it into an open net despite a valiant effort from Mattias Samuelsson. 44-year-old Chara will have to continue his chase for his first goal of the season after coming oh-so-close on that chance.
The home team regained the lead in the final seconds of the middle frame with an excuse-me redirect by Alex Tuch on a point shot from Peyton Krebs. Alex Tuch now has 18 points in 16 games with Sabres in a valiant effort to prove that he can be every bit as useful to Buffalo as Jack Eichel was for the blue and gold.
It’s probably not fair to say that the Sabres parked the bus in the third period, although they certainly attempted to limit the chances going both ways in order to maintain their one-goal lead. The Sabres had previously blown two leads in game and would indeed blow a third one as Kyle Palmieri got his second of the night on a soft goal against Tokarski as Palmieri banked the puck off the Sabres’ goaltender into the cage from behind the net. That’s a save that a team really needs their goalie to make with 10 minutes left in the game.
Jankowski did some yeoman’s work late in the third with some hustle plays in the offensive zone to keep the pressure on the Islanders. His presence as a fourth-line grinder has been substantial when compared to players like Anders Bjork or Cody Eakin who rarely show the kind of tenacity and presence on the ice that Jankowski displays.
His commitment to keeping the game tied paid off as Victor Olofsson scored the game-winner on an absolutely gorgeous feed from Peyton Krebs who threaded a cross-ice pass that literally beat five Islanders to find Olofsson all alone. The Swede made no mistake as his scored his first goal since Halloween. The Sabres subsequently added insurance empty netters from Jokiharju and Olofsson to send the Islanders back to the big city with a loss.
Buffalo is back in action on Thursday night against the Ottawa Senators.