Buffalo Pulls out First Win in SO over Islanders

For the first time this season, the Buffalo Sabres were able to beat their opponent. It took a shootout to do it, but it was enough to bring them their first victory, a 4-3 win over the New York Islanders.

The Sabres have become the laughing stock of the NHL and many of their own fans were starting to call them a joke. The lacked leadership, the lacked skating and drive, and the lack in will to win a game. While this game was far from a good game for them, they actually started to look like a team, a team who may want to start winning games instead of just chasing their opponent.

The game started like every other game we have seen this season for the Sabres. They were being out played and out skated. The Islanders came out swinging and clearly had the upper hand on this game, especially when they scored their first goal, a wrist shot by Frans Nielsen. He was in the right place at the right time with no Sabres nearby to stop him. Buffalo was able to tie it up within the first 5 minutes of the second with a wrist shot by Tyler Ennis, his first of the season. New York would regain the lead less than 3 minutes later, a goal by Matt Martin, and take the wind out of Buffalo’s sails. Thomas Vanek was able to get Buffalo a power play goal to tie the game up once again and just over a minute after the Islanders goal. Matt Mouslon would score a power play goal for New York in the third to regain the lead once more and they held on for most of the third period. With just over 2 minutes left, Marcus Foligno would make a nifty turn around shot on goal and it would go past goalie Evgeni Nabokov and Buffalo would tie the game once more. With no goals in the OT period, we moved on to a shoot out with skaters Vanek, Ennis, and Foligno for Buffalo and Moulson, Nielsen, and Tavares for New York. Vanek and Ennis were able to score while Moulson was the only goal scorer for New York. Ryan Miller was able to stop good scoring opportunities from Nielsen and Tavares.

Buffalo heads back home to face the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday and New York continues their home stand hosting the Edmonton Oilers, also on Thursday.