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When the celebration inside KeyBank Center was completed and the Buffalo Sabers left the ice to go to their locker room, they were finally able to digest everything that was going on. has passed during the 60 minutes moved in front of the first sold out crowd since the opening night.
After a consistent third-quarter comeback on the road, the Sabers scored four goals in the first period on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Flyers, allowing them to leave two unanswered during a second ugly. Tensions were strong between the two teams. Johan Larsson scored a goal and toppled Scott Laughton during a three-second fight at the end of the first third.
Carter Hutton had to bail out Buffalo again and careless passes could turn this early storybook into a nightmarish end. However, the Sabers have accomplished what no team in franchise history has known for more than 10 years. Sam Reinhart's empty goal with 1:38 remaining was won 5-2 by the Flyers and the team's first-ever winning streak since 2006-07.
The Sabers, 14-6-2 with 30 points, lost only twice this month in the regulation and have rejuvenated a discouraged fan base by sweeping a road trip of three games. They have also proven capable of playing with the best players in the NHL, no matter how difficult the odds are or how bad they are.
But despite all the good vibrations both inside and outside the locker room, the Sabers do not want to settle for a series of victories or a promising month.
"I think it shows that guys work everyday, come here and just try to improve," Jack Eichel said of the winning streak. "I think that's what we've done.That being said, it's November, it's Thanksgiving tomorrow.It remains so much of our season.We want to keep doing it.Your goal is to win every game.We will enjoy this one today, obviously enjoy our vacation tomorrow and we have a very good team coming Friday. "
Mike Harrington: Fans are also present since the preliminary face-off
Jeff Skinner, Tagus Thompson, Evan Rodrigues and Larsson scored goals in the first period. Hutton made 23 saves, including several key saves during a tenacious flyers rally (9-10-2). The Sabers have eliminated their only penalty, which has earned them a score of 19 against 20 in the last nine games.
Rodrigues' goal of a rebound at 8:55 into the first one stifled a drought in numerical superiority from 3 to 26 over the previous 10 games. After three wins on the road in Winnipeg, Minnesota and Pittsburgh, there were obvious signs of improvement. No more important than this fast start.
Phil Housley wrote the importance of this on a whiteboard before the faceoff. Despite the difficulties faced by the Flyers early in the season, they are still talented, led by the triple Hart Trophy finalist, Claude Giroux.
The Sabers have greeted fans with these three goals in the space of 5:17, starting with the 15th of Skinner's season on a rebound from Jason Pominville's shot. Thompson swayed around a defender to puncture the puck past goalkeeper Alex Lyons' left-hander just 1h42 later, and Rodrigues scored his first goal of the season by capitalizing on another rebound for the power play goal.
"We were really focused and on our toes," Housley said of the first. "We really attacked the game in the first period, we shot pucks, we put the pucks on the net, the power play was a big goal, it was the start we were looking for, especially the return. At home in a big crowd, the fans were great. "
Larsson's goal and victory in action seemed like a decisive punch. After all, the Sabers' talent took over in the first period. Although they had only a 12-7 advantage in 20 minutes, their forwards have always defeated the Flyers defenders and won all the battles for a loose puck.
Sabers recall defender Pilut and place Berglund in injured reserve
It seemed almost too easy. The Flyers proved the opposite in the second period. The Buffalo defenders have stopped performing passes in the neutral zone. Even one of the most consistent players in the team, Skinner, has made a bad business in his own area.
The Sabers were trying to do too much, and Philadelphia took advantage. Giroux's wrist shot from the right circle beat Hutton to 5:26 in the second period, and the Flyers reduced the two-point margin when Wayne Simmonds, a forward with 24 goals or more in six of the last seven seasons , beat Hutton with a shot. out of a rebound.
The Sabers were eliminated, 18-9, for the last 40 minutes. Yet Hutton made stops when he needed it – nothing more important than his stoppage on Travis Konecny's backhander with 6:49 left and the defense postponed. The team will return to the same layer of Thanksgiving morning ice for training in preparation for Friday's game against the Montreal Canadiens.
They will enjoy one of the most memorable nights of recent years, but they will also reflect on how to make sure there are many more to come.
"I do not think this room has a stop plan," Rodrigues said. "We will do everything we can to keep it going, it's a good feeling."
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