Bittersweet Victory

Score: Sabres 3 | Hurricanes 0

Shots: BUF 18 | CAR 33

Buffalo Sabres Goals:

1. Thompson (Unassisted)
2. Tuch (Byram, McLeod)
3. Peterka (Quinn)

Carolina Hurricanes Goals:

Minus 1: 14 Years and Counting

There was never much hope at a miracle run for the playoffs following the Sabres disastrous 13 game winless streak, but that hope has been officially dashed. The Montreal Canadians put the final nail in the coffin with their 4-1 victory over Detroit. This marks the 14^th straight year Buffalo will miss the NHL playoffs which is tied with the Jets for longest active playoff drought in North American professional sports. There will be high schoolers in the fall that have not been alive during a Sabres playoff game. This season will go down as a major disappointment, but there’s always next year right?

Plus 1: Sniper is Sniping

Tage Thompson can’t be kept off the scoreboard recently. Early in the second, he picked up a turnover just inside the defensive blueline, used his speed and hands to head straight for the slot and was able to rip one past Kochetkov to break the scoreless game. This goal marked his 5^th straight game with a goal, and his 44^th of the year. That ties him with William Nylander for second in the NHL and puts him in the league lead for even strength goals with 37. A healthy Thompson is a great asset for Buffalo.

Plus 2: Winning Streak

With their victory, Buffalo has won 5 games in a row. Their goaltending has been solid, and they are scoring in bunches. In their past five games, they have outscored opponents 24-12. This late surge did not result in a playoff berth, but they have clearly found their game. This is the kind of play the players need to expect from themselves and a standard to hold each other to. With any luck, ending the season on a positive note will give the players some momentum heading into the offseason.

Final Thoughts

The theme of this game is streaks. The Sabres 14 year playoff drought, Tage’s 5 game goal scoring streak, and the team’s 5 game winning streak. Another streak is that James Reimer has won his last 7 starts dating back to March 20^th. When this team is rolling, they’re a tough team to beat. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true. The Sabres have 5 games left to continue to work on their game. Hopefully, this late season surge is a sign of things to come and not a mirage resulting from lowered expectations.