The Sabres were 0-20 when trailing after 40 minutes of play this season. Last night's game was a different story. Buffalo looked like a completely different team as they scored three unanswered goals and defeated the Jets 4-2.
“The one thing we’ve been trying to work on is our consistency, and to just keep going. You never know, if you keep going usually good things happen. Tonight was nice to see the team get rewarded for not giving up and continuing to work, and we got the breaks when we needed them.… -Ted Nolan
4 goals? That's unheard of this season. It took Buffalo 17 games since they had last scored four or more goals. November 5th against San Jose was the last time they did it, beating the Sharks 5-4 in a shootout.
As the Sabres continue to improve and compete, I have to believe that Nolan is doing something right. Whether you agree with his decisions and the lineup changes, Nolan has done a great job so far, especially when you consider what the team looked like when he got here.
Some say the 4th line was nothing to be excited about, but Kevin Porter's line seemed to be one of the hardest working. Then there was the Matt Ellis goal. He's not the best player on the ice, but he will certainly work like he wants to be. Because of that goal, Ellis now leads the Sabres in +/- on the year at +1 in two games played.
“I was the recipient of good things that happen when you go to the net, but it’s a great feeling to help contribute to a victory and hopefully we can move forward.… -Matt Ellis
The 19 shots that the Sabres fired on Ondrej Pavelec in the 1st period last night were their most shots on goal in one period this season.
How long can the Sabres keep this up? Not that they are piling up the wins, but you can't ignore their more consistent efforts. Just how much better can Nolan get this team to be?
Scoring is going to be a problem, but the Sabres have also tightened up on defense, allowing fewer shots than they were earlier in the year.
As always, thank you for reading!
