Your Buffalo Sabres just keep finding ways to win, even when they don't look all that pretty doing it. Last night up in Montreal, the Buffalo Sabres pulled out a 3-2 regulation win against the Canadiens, a gutsy performance that wasn't exactly a clinic on possession. Let's be honest, getting outshot 30-22 isn't ideal, but Tage Thompson and Zach Benson both converting on the power play in the second and third periods made all the difference. It felt a lot like those old Sabres teams that would just grind it out, you know?
Montreal actually took the lead after that early opening goal from Mattias Samuelsson, with Alex Newhook and then Cole Caufield on the power play putting the Canadiens up 2-1 before the first intermission. You could feel that familiar dread starting to creep in, couldn't you? But the Buffalo Sabres dug deep. Tage Thompson’s power play goal seven minutes into the second period tied it, and then Zach Benson, off a beautiful feed from J. Doan and Thompson, potted the game-winner in the third. Let's Go Buff-a-lo. It wasn't dominating, but it was effective, and that's what good teams do when they're on the road.
This win pushes the Buffalo Sabres to a solid 50-23-9 record, still sitting pretty atop the Atlantic Division with 109 points. That's a good spot to be in, especially with the last ten games looking decent at 6-3-1. We're on an overtime streak now, which tells you something about how tight these games are getting. The mood around the West Side Market this morning is definitely lighter, a little more pep in everyone's step. We've got a couple more road games before coming back to the KeyBank Center, but this team just keeps building that confidence.
Let's Go Buff-a-lo — from the City of Good Neighbors, this is Peg.
The guys on "First Shift" are talking about this win right now — check them out live at mornings.live.