Bruins Escape Sabres
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by Rawbeezeitz
The Bruins won a 4-3 overtime game against division rivals Buffalo last night, kicking off a 9 game stretch of games played within the division.
These are not your twin brother’s Sabres, as last year’s team that tied for the most points in the NHL has been significantly altered due to salary constraints. They were 5-5-0 coming into last night’s game, but they still pack a lot of punch. Buffalo was able to hold onto Thomas Vanek, who had 11 points in 8 games last season against the Bruins, his most against any team.
The first two periods of the game were hard hitting and brutal. They were the most physical periods of the season played by the Bruins, but were also the most physical played by any of their opponents.
After a scoreless first, Glen Metroplit put the Bruins on top with a power play drive from the high slot that beat Ryan Miller, who was screened nicely on the play. Ironically, Metroplit is Patrice Bergeron’s replacement on the power play while he recovers from a concussion.
A few minutes later Phil Kessel and Marco Sturm broke up ice on a 2 on 2 breakaway. Kessel launched a wrist shot from the right wing that somehow slipped by Miller and it was 2-0 Bruins.
However, last season the Sabres had a habit of coming back on the Bruins, and this year would be no different. Toward the end of the second period, some good neutral zone play would result in a Sabres opportunity on their right wing side of the ice. The Bruins defense shifted in that direction, and Maxim Afinogenov was able to sneak into the slot and wrist a centering pass behind Tim Thomas into an essentially empty net to make it a 2-1 game.
Just after the beginning of the third, Buffalo would tie it up as Brian Cambell launched a shot from the blue line on the power play. The goal was preceded by Buffalo’s very interesting non-traditional power play, which does not involve static players passing the puck around. Instead, both the players and the puck rotate around the offensive zone, creating passing gaps and shooting lanes that wouldn’t otherwise be there. Cambell’s goal was a prime example of what this kind of power play offense can do.
Marc Savard and the Bruins answered very quickly. Play had begun to open up in the third period, and less that 1 minute after Buffalo tied it, Savard retook the lead thanks to a 2 on 1 breakaway. Savard, known more for his passing than his shooting, broke loose with Aaron Ward. The Buffalo defenseman dropped to the ice to defend the pass, so Savard took a wrist shot and scored. It had been 6 games since Marc’s previous goal.
After numerous opportunities by both teams that were either just missed or stopped by the goaltenders, Buffalo was able to tie the game once more. The rotating Sabre power play was troublesome again. This time, P.J. Axelsson went for a diving pass block up by the blue line. He was unsuccessful, and the space created allowed Buffalo to send three players toward the net, one of whom was Paul Gaustad, who tipped the puck past Thomas to make it 3-3.
With less than a minute left in the overtime period, Metroplit’s individual effort set-up the game winner. Metroplit danced with the puck around two defenders on the left wing, creating enough space between them for a hard pass to Aaron Ward on the right. Ward lobbed a wobbly shot toward the net, which was tipped by Sturm in mid-air (just below the crossbar line) and past Miller to end the game.
The most interesting aspect of the game was the different natures of the first two periods and the third one. As mentioned earlier, the first two were physical and rough, with lots of neutral zone and board play resulting in very few chances. Each team did have a good opportunity here and there (including a 3 on 1 break for the Sabres), but the opportunities didn’t last very long. In other words, there were no flurries of shots. The Bruins had 14 shots in the first two periods, the Sabres had 13. The Bruins would put 15 shots on net in the third, and Buffalo had 10. It was nice to see that the Bruins could play both the physical game, as well as the speedy end-to-end game.
Zdeno Chara once again had a bonehead misplay on the offensive blue line. If it weren’t for the poise of Thomas, the Sabres would have scored. The NESN announcers accurately compared the play to Bill Buckner’s error.
Thomas had a solid game, stopping 27 of 30 shots. However, that save total is inflated because of rebounds he failed to corral. The Sabres had plenty of scoring chances that they simply didn’t finish as well as they could have, allowing Thomas and the Bruins to escape.
These were the first points the Bruins have gotten within their division. Last year, they had 29 points in 32 divisional games. This season, if they can get 40 points in those games, I’ll consider the season to be a success. The Bruins go to Ottawa to face the Senators Saturday night.
Photo credit: AP/Charles Krupa
