After a plethora of Buffalo players were added to the COVID-19 protocol earlier yesterday morning, hopes were not high on the Sabres with their matchup with the Coyotes.
Adding to the fray heading into this game was no one knew who was even going to be in the net. Craig Anderson? Dustin Tokarski? Duane?!?!?!?!? Thankfully for the Blue and Gold, Anderson made his long-awaited return and stole the show.
First Period
Anderson wasn’t the only one making his way back into the lineup, as Kyle Okposo found his way back in a Sabres sweater. After an 11-day hiatus, the assistant captain got the scoring started.
In his patented powerplay spot, the 33-year old curled around the top of the circle and received a pass from teammate Jacob Bryson. Okposo then fired a shot low-glove giving the Sabres the lead just seven minutes into the affair.
Peyton Krebs found the net yet again with the blue and gold. A two-on-one with line-mate Casey Mittelstadt resulted in Krebs with a wide-open net to give the Sabres a two-goal lead.
Krebs has started to find his groove in Buffalo, in his first nine games with Vegas this season, he didn’t tally a single point. This was his ninth game as a member of the Sabres, and he has three goals and two assists. In each game he plays, Krebs appears to get more comfortable at the NHL level.
To the shock of many, Buffalo controlled most of the period in lieu of several top players either being injured or just added to the COVID-19 protocol.
Second Period
The Sabres continued their scoring ways from the first period, this time from the hometown hero Alex Tuch. Another rush opportunity from Buffalo, but this time Krebs is the man making the great pass across the slot.
An awkward play earlier in the frame left first-line center Tage Thompson hobbling after the game. He left the ice for some time but returned later in the game. It is still unknown what the injured sustained to Thompson is, and whether there will be any time missed for the 24-year-old.
Third Period
A three-goal lead in the third period with an incomplete lineup, what could possibly go wrong. We as fans have seen far too many blown leads and lost games in this final frame of play. Thankfully for the Buffalo faithful, the Sabres were able to fend off the bottom-feeding Coyotes.
Arizona was able to break the shutout of Anderson with just nine minutes left. Shayne Gostisbehere on the powerplay brought some life back to the desert. A back and forth led to a one-timer for Gostisbehere who nailed it to the back of the net. This would have been Anderson’s 43rd shutout of his career.
Buffalo was able to lock down their own end for the rest of the affair. They fought off a three-minute six-on-five to seal two points on the road.
Welcome back Craig Anderson
In what was a quicker return to the pipes than he or Sabres fans were anticipating, the 40-year-old stole the show in Arizona. Stopping 27 of 28 on the night, Anderson has made his presence known once again. With the shoddy goaltending of this year, it only puts into question what could have been with a healthy Anderson.
What’s next?
There is no time to celebrate, as the Sabres head to Colorado to face the Avalanche tonight. Buffalo has not won back-to-back games in over a month. is Avalanche ML free money?
Comment below how you felt the game went, and why you think this team is so hot and cold.