Updated:
It wasn't pretty but it was effective.
The Buffalo Sabres snapped Detroit's 13 game point streak (8-0-5) by scoring two late third period goals to win 2-1 in Detroit on Monday night.
The Sabres have now beaten two solid opponents in back to back games.
Buffalo defeated the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night. The Red Wings were on a 13 game winning streak. That ended with their regulation loss.
Ryan O'Reilly and Johan Larsson scored 1:01 apart late in the third period to give the Buffalo Sabres the win.
Chad Johnson made 31 saves for Buffalo (13-15-3).
#HiImChadJohnson game saver @juice722 pic.twitter.com/KJFiLWGiuV
— Stephanie (@myregularface) December 15, 2015Winner! Winner! Buffalo Chicken Wing Dinner!
With 18 seconds remaining in regulation play, Johnson made this scintillating game saving save. At first glance I thought that Larsson got a piece of the Nyquist shot, however, the replay showed that the puck scooched under Larsson and hit Johnson's arm.
O'Reilly tied the game 1-1 with 4:14 left when he tipped in a shot from the point by Sam Reinhart. It was O'Reilly's 11th goal of the season.
Moments before his goal, O'Reilly lost the handle on his curl and drag play with Petr Mrazek. O'Reilly's chance went wide left. O'Reilly kept his head down and kept fighting like the warrior that he is.
O'Reilly now has points in eight straight games, a career high. "The Factor" now has 4 goals and 7 assists in his last 8 games played. All the while, he is averaging 21:00 TOI per game this season.
Larsson scored the game winning goal when he stuffed in a rebound with 3:13 left for his first goal of the season. Larsson's goal snapped a 30-game goal scoring drought.
If ever a Sabres player needed to play a dominant game it was Larsson. The struggling young Swede has been bounced up and down the lineup all season long. He has been given ample opportunities to distinguish himself with little to show for it. He hasn't exactly endeared himself to his new head coach Dan Bylsma.
Let's see if Larsson's performance in Detroit will inspire him to go above and beyond on a more consistent basis.
Brad Richards gave the Red Wings a 1-0 lead 4:01 into the second period when he one-timed a gorgeous Pavel Datsyuk cross box pass. .
***
If the Winnipeg Free Press story is true, Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd and Jacob Trouba have asked the Jets for a combined $152 million in contracts.
Byfuglien (30), Ladd (30) and Trouba (22) are nearing the end of the expiration date on their current contracts.
In a league where salary cap space is at a premium, that's a king's ransom.
On Monday afternoon, Tim Campbell wrote:
League and player sources have confirmed that Jets captain Andrew Ladd has asked for a six-year deal worth at least $41 million, that defenseman Dustin Byfuglien has requested $55 million over eight years and that defenseman Jacob Trouba wants more than $56 million over the maximum eight years allowed in the league’s CBA with its players.It’s important to note that these numbers have been basically starting points from each of the player’s camps in their negotiations with the Jets. GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has not commented at all on potential progress or stumbling blocks to talks.
Ladd is in the final year of a five-year, $22-million deal paying him $4.5 million this season. Byfuglien is in the final year of a five-year, $26-million deal paying him $6 million this season. Trouba is in the third and final year of his entry-level contract, making $832,500 in salary this year.
The magnitude of the future asks could also be the reason nothing has been agreed to yet.
Talks with Ladd were more frequent earlier than recently. Reports have said there was little dialogue with Byfuglien’s camp until recently.
And Trouba and the Jets have reportedly agreed to deal with the matter after the season is over.
Byfuglien and Ladd, the team's captain, are eligible to become UFAs on July 1, 2016. Trouba will be an RFA come July.
The figures that Campbell reported are allegedly "opening offers". In other words, negotiations can influence the numbers down, or, up.
Assuming these numbers are correct, Ladd’s new AAV would be at 6.8 million. Byfuglien’s AAV would be $6.875 million. Trouba’s would be at least $7 million.
Are you kidding me?
Ladd's a nice player, however, he ain't a $7 million-ish man.
Byfuglien is a monster on the point and I would have no problem paying him $7 million-ish per season.
Trouba? Sorry, kid. You have a bright future, however, you are not a $7 million man.
NHL Commish Gary Bettman said last week at the NHL Board of Governors Meetings in California that the 2016-17 salary cap projects today be $74.4 million. However, that number is subject to change. The $74.4 million figure represents a $3 million U.S. increase.
Caveat Emptor: Bettman's numbers are only projections. They are subject to change especially since the Canadian dollar is now worth $.73 cents U.S., and falling fast.
What complicates an otherwise stressful financial matter is that the Jets also have #1 center Mark Scheifele and energy man Adam Lowry in the final seasons of their entry-level contracts.
Cheveldayoff can't shoot the wad on three players and leave three others twisting in the wind. Can he?
The Jets have $12 million in available salary cap for 2016-17.
Committing $152 million (or more) to Byfuglien, Ladd, and Trouba will likely mean that Kevin Cheveldayoff won't have enough money to pay his top center and power forward of the future.
Let's not forget that goalie Michael Hutchinson will also be RFA next summer.
Let's not forget that the Jets have been linked to a trade for NY Islanders D Travis Hamonic who is patiently awaiting a trade out of Brooklyn. Hamonic is a Manitoba native and he would love to play near his home province for family reasons.
If Cheveldayoff is sincere about wanting to re-sign Byfuglien, Ladd, Trouba, Scheifele, Lowry,and Hutchinson, he is going to have to trade away some big, fat salaries like defenseman Toby Enstrom's $5.75 million cap hit. Enstrom is signed through 2018. How about former Buffalo Sabres D Tyler Myers is a $5.5 million cap hit until 2019? Veteran forward Bryan Little is a $4.7 million cap hit until 2018.
Assuming that Campbell's reported $152M figures are correct, the Jets have to salary cap excavating to do in the weeks to come.
The Jets have been scouting several NHL teams this season presumable to find suitable a trade partner(s). One of those teams is the Buffalo Sabres who are looking for a top four, left shot D. Sabres GM Tim Murray might want to take a shot at Toby Enstrom. Cheveldayoff may not want to trade Enstrom, or Myers for that matter, however, he may have no other choice than to trade Enstrom's $5.75 million cap hit . Murray may also want Michael Hutchinson to add strength to his goaltending depth.The emergence of rookie Connor Hellebuyck may have rendered Hutchinson obsolete in the Winnipeg plans.
Perhaps $152 million-ish is too rich for Cheveldayoff's blood. What then?
I can't see the Jets trading their captain away. Ladd is their moral compass and their leader.
Trade Byfuglien for many assets and to create cap space?
Trade Trouba?
Cheveldayoff has some serious heavy lifting to do right now. He doesn't want to screw his contending team now, however, he doesn't want to gut it right now either.
Before the $152M news went public Chevy's phone was ringing. I'll guarantee you that his phone is melting right now from the heat of the constant use.