|
After Buffalo's Dmitry Kulikov went off for hooking at the 14:28 mark, the Blackhawks took consecutive high sticking penalties that had Buffalo on a 4-on-3 then a 5-on-3 for the nearly a full two minutes. That could have been the elixir for the Sabres' ailments but they came up short. All was not lost for Buffalo in the first period as Evander Kane scored his 21st goal of the season with :05 seconds left in the period, however, that 5-on-3 could have turned the tide.
"I thought our opportunity was that 5-on-3, to get not just one goal, maybe two," said coach Dan Bylsma to the gathered media post game. "We gave them too much. That's a good team."
Sure are.
The Blackhawks came on a like a storm in the second period and added two more goals to push the lead to 3-1 as two talented vets worked hard and worked a little bit of magic to put the choke-hold on the Sabres. Marian Hossa schooled rookie Evan Rodrigues on the half-wall and sent a precision shot through a small crack in Lehner's pads to put Chicago ahead then Johnathan Toews broke free of Jack Eichel along the goal line and caught the 20 yr. old off guard as he went to the net to bury a rebound to put the Hawks up by two goals late in the second period.
Early in the third period the Sabres were out of gas and were steamrolled as Buffalo-native Patrick Kane set up goal No. 4 for Chicago early in the third then scored the final tally a few minutes later as the Hawks left Buffalo with a 5-1 win.
Despite the lone fan that was booing near the end of the game, the Sabres had a massive challenge ahead of them heading into the contest and just didn't have nearly enough in the tank. It was their seventh game in the last 11 days the second game of a back-to-back, and their second set of back-to-backs during that stretch. Although Chicago was playing a back-to-back as well, theirs came after their bye week and they used a 3-1 loss vs. Edmonton to get their hockey legs back.
Chicago also has pure talent in their core but unlike the Sabres, they're deep and have good talent up and down the lineup. Every line scored a goal last night for Chicago while Bylsma, once again was forced to double shift centers to give the fourth line some ice-time. Winger Nicolas Deslauriers, who was forced into the fourth-line center role, had 3:41 of ice-time last night and was a minus-1 after four shifts covering 2:02 in the first half of the game. He was on the ice for 54 seconds in the second period and 45 seconds of the third.
His linemates Tyler Ennis and Matt Moulson didn't fare much better as the line was exploited on Chicago's first goal. Ennis didn't have the speed or the defensive acumen to keep up with Chicago fourth-liner Ryan Hartman as he circled the zone and sent a laser past Lehner while Deslauriers looked lead-footed and lost. Ennis and Moulson were a combined minus-2 in 15:36 total even-strength ice-time and had one shot on goal which came from Moulson on the 5-on-3 powerplay. Who covered most of their even strength ice-time with Deslauriers on the bench? Eichel, and he's been doing that for the a lot lately.
Bylsma has been double shifting Eichel because he has no choice. Third line center Zemgus Girgensons has been out the last seven games with a mid-body injury while fourth-line center Derek Grant has missed the last two games because of a shoulder injury and probably shouldn't even be there in the first place. Rodrigues has performed admirably on the third line replacing Girgensons but the team was stuck with Deslauriers on the fourth line.
Eichel has averaged nearly 22 minutes of ice time over the last five games and anyone who's watched him play knows that his shifts are full of quick sprints and lots of skating covering much of the ice. And last night he had a very difficult task battling with Toews who's compete-level is amongst the best the NHL has to offer. It didn't turn out well as Toews eventually beat him and by the third period Eichel was gassed as Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane put the nails in the coffin with him on the ice.
In the end, the Hawks looked like a three-time Stanley Cup Champion as they were rested and hitting on all cylinders while the Sabres looked the part of a team with too many holes and not enough gas in the tank.
So it goes.
*****
To the guy who was booing late in the third. Really?
Of all the things to boo, last night's game was not one of them and it was proven as his lone voice was largely ignored by the remaining fans in the building.
*****
A lot of attention was paid to a compressed schedule because of the bye week and the Sabres having it in the shortest month of the year made it even worse. Reactions from players and the coach varied somewhat when WGR550's Paul Hamilton asked about the compressed schedule and the upcoming bye week. The Sabres will be away from the ice for five days beginning today after playing 11 games in 18 days (6-4-1 record) and will play three games in four nights to end the month, beginning with a back-to-back on the road.
"Having played the amount of games we've played, I think you need a break," said Bylsma to the media. "At the same time, five games is an eternity in the hockey season. It's a long time and it's a break you don't want at this point [with] the way we're playing and the wins we've put together.
"You maybe want to forgo the five games and keep playing."
Evander Kane, who's been on a tear since December 3 with 21 goals in 36 games is welcoming the break. "Hopefully we can get some good rest, get some relaxation, get our minds away from hockey, kind of refocus and regroup," said Kane rather surprisingly considering how hot he is right now. But he seemed to look at it as a way to get revitalized for the final stretch of 21 post-break games. He called it "a much needed break" and followed it up by saying that "a little rest can go a long way."
"Stepping away for a couple of days can help individual and a group and hopefully it will be positive," he concluded.
Sabres captain Brian Gionta, a veteran of 984 regular season games told Hamilton post-game, via WGR550 radio, that the six-game pre-break stretch "seems like a lot" and that it was "a tough push" up to the bye. He also said he wished it was more spread out.
Regardless of what anyone thinks of the bye week and the schedule, which was compressed even more because the World Cup of Hockey lopped off a week at the beginning of the season, it's here and the Sabres, like every other team, need to deal with it.
With five days off GM Tim Murray will have plenty of time to examine where his team is and which direction he intends to take it for the stretch run as the March 1 NHL Trade Deadline is coming fast.
Today at 7:23 am by Rocky
» Governor of Baghdad: 20 projects will be included during the current year in the city of Nahrawan
Today at 7:20 am by Rocky
» More than $242 million in central bank sales today
Today at 7:17 am by Rocky
» Advisor: Sudanese is determined to close the displacement file
Today at 7:14 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: The implementation of the 2023 budget witnessed a success that must be invested in
Today at 7:13 am by Rocky
» The Baghdad Council will decide on the nomination of the committees in the coming days
Today at 7:10 am by Rocky
» Al-Samarrai: The Sunni community is not in favor of removing American forces
Today at 7:08 am by Rocky
» A warning from Al-Rasheed to those wishing to apply for advances and loans
Today at 7:06 am by Rocky
» Azerbaijan expresses its desire to participate in the implementation of joint projects in the oil an
Today at 7:05 am by Rocky
» Fuel cards arouse citizens' discontent
Today at 7:03 am by Rocky
» utube 3/18/24 MM&C Iraqi Dinar-- IQD-- Dinar Update -100% Electronic - Real Effective Exchange Rat
Today at 5:21 am by Rocky
» utube MM&C 3/16/24 0:05 / 18:16 Iraq Federal Court Brings - Strength to Financial - Politic
Today at 5:18 am by Rocky
» MM&C 3/18/24 Sudanese Advisor: Iraq will leave government monetary dealing in mid-2024
Today at 5:17 am by Rocky
» A delegation from the Kurdistan government visits Baghdad to discuss the issue of localization of sa
Today at 5:11 am by Rocky
» Director of the Central Oil Company: We are keen to provide the appropriate investment environment
Today at 5:10 am by Rocky
» The Energy Parliament calls for reporting generators violating government pricing
Today at 5:08 am by Rocky
» A representative reveals the fate of the laws of “previous sessions”
Today at 5:07 am by Rocky
» Politician: Coordination holds the keys to resolving the “Parliament Presidency” conflict
Today at 5:05 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: Iraq wants to carry out its peaceful activity in the field of atomic energy
Today at 5:04 am by Rocky
» Including a minister and a parliamentarian... 38 arrest and recruitment orders were issued against t
Today at 5:02 am by Rocky
» Integrity: Citizens’ cooperation resulted in detecting inflation and returning state funds
Today at 5:01 am by Rocky
» Agriculture presents 97 projects to the Ministerial Council for the Economy
Today at 4:59 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: We succeeded in implementing the 2023 budget, and we must continue to complete economic p
Today at 4:58 am by Rocky
» Labor adopts new mechanisms to reduce the phenomenon of begging
Today at 4:57 am by Rocky
» Electronically.. directing the collection of fees tomorrow in an Iraqi governorate
Today at 4:56 am by Rocky
» Held in Brussels.. Iraq receives an official invitation to attend the Nuclear Energy Summit
Today at 4:55 am by Rocky
» Kurdistan has been paralyzed. There has been no liquidity in hand for 50 days, and the truth has bee
Today at 4:53 am by Rocky
» The dollar continues to decline against the Iraqi dinar on the stock exchange and exchange offices
Today at 4:52 am by Rocky
» The Minister of Oil reveals the reasons for Shell’s withdrawal from Nebras: It will be divided into
Today at 4:51 am by Rocky
» The Housing Fund advises loan applicants and launches a link for inquiries
Today at 4:50 am by Rocky
» He stressed that the government’s vision is to make one class not exceed 25 students...Government me
Today at 4:48 am by Rocky
» Al-Hakim and Al-Halbousi stress the importance of choosing a speaker for Parliament in accordance wi
Today at 4:47 am by Rocky
» Iron and Steel Company: Iraq is on the verge of a major industrial revolution
Today at 4:46 am by Rocky
» Economists: Citizens still prefer cash transactions over electronic transactions
Today at 4:45 am by Rocky
» The compass of Iraq's foreign policy in a world of turbulent polarization
Today at 4:43 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Finance: The federal budget is in the corridors of the Council of Ministers, and there
Today at 4:42 am by Rocky
» Integrity calls on citizens to report the inflation of funds in the sector of the Ministry of Labor
Today at 4:40 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani directs the launch of initiatives for young businessmen and investors
Today at 4:38 am by Rocky
» Representative agriculture emphasizes taking supportive measures for the local product
Today at 4:37 am by Rocky
» An economist calls on the government to support and stimulate the private sector
Today at 4:36 am by Rocky
» Al-Ittihad: Employees and retirees in Kurdistan paid the price of political differences with Baghdad
Today at 4:34 am by Rocky
» Al-Samarrai and Al-Hakim discuss the importance of achieving political and constitutional entitlemen
Today at 4:32 am by Rocky
» Only 23 million dunums. Iraq exploits approximately 50% of its arable land
Today at 4:30 am by Rocky
» Türkiye considers it a political issue.. Where have the negotiations reached regarding Iraq’s water
Today at 4:29 am by Rocky
» Sudanese receives an invitation to attend the Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels - Urgent
Today at 4:27 am by Rocky
» Central Bank sales exceed $240 million today
Yesterday at 6:52 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Finance calls on the government to expedite sending the 2024 budget to Parliament
Yesterday at 6:47 am by Rocky
» ‘We’re So Sick of It’: Northern Border Crisis Gets Worse
Yesterday at 6:35 am by Bama Diva
» A representative holds Kurdistan responsible for the faltering legislation of the oil and gas law
Yesterday at 5:27 am by Rocky
» Warnings of the danger of the increase in foreign labor in Iraq
Yesterday at 5:26 am by Rocky
» Iraq's oil exports to America decreased within a week
Yesterday at 5:25 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani chairs an “important” meeting to form the Kirkuk government
Yesterday at 5:23 am by Rocky
» Investment confirms the adoption of a new method in new residential cities and explains its details
Yesterday at 5:21 am by Rocky
» For the first time in 2024.. exchange rates fall to the threshold of 149 thousand in Baghdad
Yesterday at 5:19 am by Rocky
» Including gold.. An increase in exports of 3 Turkish products to Iraq during 2024
Yesterday at 5:18 am by Rocky
» A detailed integrity report regarding the Housing Fund... called for this matter
Yesterday at 5:17 am by Rocky
» Resources count the number of trespassers in Baghdad.. What about restaurants?
Yesterday at 5:16 am by Rocky
» At a cost of approximately two billion dinars... determining the completion rates achieved in the Ma
Yesterday at 5:15 am by Rocky
» Parliament awaits the “Cabinet of Ministers” law
Yesterday at 5:14 am by Rocky
» Provincial councils return after an absence with a heavy legacy
Yesterday at 5:13 am by Rocky
» Iraq is the axis and meeting point of East and West
Yesterday at 5:11 am by Rocky
» One million beneficiaries of health insurance early next May
Yesterday at 5:10 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Finance: Delaying the budget had a negative impact on the performance of the ministrie
Yesterday at 5:09 am by Rocky
» The chaos of urban expansion threatens the agricultural character of Diwaniyah
Yesterday at 5:08 am by Rocky
» A project to plant Japanese trees in Erbil
Yesterday at 5:07 am by Rocky
» A team to prepare the national strategy for national security in Kirkuk
Yesterday at 5:06 am by Rocky
» Next Tuesday...concluding a contract to expand the basic design of the city of Mosul
Yesterday at 5:04 am by Rocky
» A festival to reduce food prices in Mosul
Yesterday at 5:03 am by Rocky
» Technical committees between Baghdad and Erbil to resume oil exports through Türkiye
Yesterday at 5:02 am by Rocky
» A model of economic diversification
Yesterday at 5:01 am by Rocky
» Variation in the extent to which Iraq was affected by the decision to reduce the credit rating of {T
Yesterday at 5:00 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: Iraq has made a commitment to receive the entire security file from the Ministry of Inter
Yesterday at 4:58 am by Rocky
» The President of the Republic stresses the important role of Mr. Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim in the first st
Yesterday at 4:56 am by Rocky
» The Iraqi Center for Combating Rumors warns against social media celebrities misleading their follow
Yesterday at 4:54 am by Rocky
» Integrity investigates the work of the Housing Fund and indicates debts worth 56 billion dinars
Yesterday at 4:53 am by Rocky
» Agricultural associations in Karbala welcome the provincial council’s decision to prevent the fragme
Yesterday at 4:52 am by Rocky
» Free education lecturers demand that they be given job opportunities and contracts in Kirkuk
Yesterday at 4:51 am by Rocky
» The Digital Media Center calls for not browsing links published on a government page
Yesterday at 4:50 am by Rocky
» The President of the Republic confirms the strength of relations between Iraq and Italy
Yesterday at 4:48 am by Rocky
» A decline in Iraq's oil exports to America during the past week
Yesterday at 4:47 am by Rocky
» Economic researcher for / NINA /: Iraqi youth are qualified for the labor market and relying on them
Yesterday at 4:46 am by Rocky
» The Minister of Planning is following up on the Statistics Authority’s preparations to conduct the g
Yesterday at 4:45 am by Rocky
» 5 days after sending the money and the Kurdistan government has not paid the salaries...a political
Yesterday at 4:44 am by Rocky
» A political reading about Sudanese political concern.. Amending the election law is one of the attem
Yesterday at 4:42 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani to the Baghdad government: Pay attention to the outskirts of the capital, and drainage mus
Yesterday at 4:41 am by Rocky
» The Iraqi dinar recovers against the dollar in local markets
Yesterday at 4:39 am by Rocky
» Investment provides a summary of Bismaya units... and the new cities have “fixed prices” for the fir
Yesterday at 4:38 am by Rocky
» “Hidden commissions” on electronic fuel cards, contrary to what is advertised.. To whom does 100 mil
Yesterday at 4:37 am by Rocky
» Al-Hasnawi: The government is continuing to accelerate the completion and opening of lagging health
Yesterday at 4:36 am by Rocky
» Oil: The gasoline import file will be closed early next year
Yesterday at 4:35 am by Rocky
» “My account or your account”... a new problem behind the delay in the salaries of the region’s emplo
Yesterday at 4:34 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: Iraq is about to host important events and conferences
Yesterday at 4:33 am by Rocky
» In Erdogan's visit to Iraq...the path of development in exchange for water
Yesterday at 4:33 am by Rocky
» An American report on Washington’s seriousness in withdrawing from Iraq: Biden does not want to lose
Yesterday at 4:30 am by Rocky
» The organization is banned in Iraq.. Baghdad decides the fate of the Workers’ Party after 40 years o
Yesterday at 4:29 am by Rocky
» The rain exposes the poor quality of service projects and calls for the dismissal of officials and h
Yesterday at 4:28 am by Rocky
» Politician: Ankara needs Baghdad economically, and the path of development is Iraq’s trump card
Yesterday at 4:26 am by Rocky
» Economic calls to adopt a new philosophy for implementing strategic projects
Yesterday at 4:24 am by Rocky
» Al-Maliki: My alliance with Al-Sadr is possible, and the movement’s distance from it is an unhealthy
Yesterday at 4:23 am by Rocky