Sabres keep spreadin' the news of their revival with gutsy win in the Garden
The key element to this game was the work of goaltender Colten Ellis, who did plenty of Garden-gawking during the morning skate and then made 30 saves at night in
What did Frank Sinatra famously say about the Big Apple? If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. You would hope the Buffalo Sabres would take that lesson away from Thursday night.
They withstood the third-period pressure of the New York Rangers. They did just enough to silence the frenzied fans of Madison Square Garden, whose energy was carrying from the expensive lairs at ice level all the way to the legendary Blue Seats in the 400 level.
If you can survive the Garden, like the Sabres did in Thursday's 5-2 victory, you have another major experience you can refer back to during all the tight moments that will be coming for this team over the next three months.
The Sabres' Mattias Samuelsson celebrates with teammates after scoring a short-handed goal during the third period against the Rangers on Thursday in New York.
Frank Franklin II, Associated Press
"Obviously, it's a tough place to play when they get rolling and you can feel the momentum," said Sabres winger Josh Doan, who scored in his fourth straight game. "But our group's done a really good job, I think, of late of defending leads in games and kind of packing it down when we have to."
The key element to this game was the work of goaltender Colten Ellis, who did plenty of Garden-gawking during the morning skate, then made 30 saves at night in his first game since suffering a concussion Dec. 9 in Edmonton.
"It was unbelievable," said Ellis, 25. "It was my first time just being here in general, and when you're the first time being in a building of this stature when you're playing in the NHL, it was pretty cool. Just tried to kind of take it in all day and just enjoy every part of it."
Ellis said the Garden's vast collection of banners in the rafters, from the championships and legends of the Rangers and Knicks to even musical acts like Billy Joel, had him in awe.
"I got here a little early this morning before the skate and just kind of looked around and got a feel for the arena," he said. "It's cool when you get to kind of see all these cool venues that have been around for a while."
Sabres goaltender Colten Ellis stops a shot by the Rangers' Vincent Trocheck during Thursday's game in New York.
Frank Franklin II, Associated Press
Ellis was solid through two periods as the Sabres built a 3-1 lead on goals by Doan, Alex Tuch and Jason Zucker, who broke Buffalo's 0-for-17 slide on the power play.
But when Vincent Trocheck put a shot between Ellis' legs on a softie 51 seconds into the third period, the pressure instantly got hot. Buffalo was outshot, 14-3, in the third period and 32-21 for the game but Ellis never cracked again.
"It's one I definitely want back, but we were still up by one at that point," Ellis said of the Trocheck goal. "So you've just got to kind of find a way to get through it. That's part of hockey that stuff's going to happen. I just tried to do whatever I could to not let in any more."
"A-plus game for sure. He gave us a great game," coach Lindy Ruff said of Ellis. "He worked hard to get back and be ready and I thought he did an excellent job."
"He played unreal. He made some huge saves," said defenseman Mattias Samuelsson. "They had a lot of chances there."
Goal of the season?
Samuelsson has been a rock on defense all season but it's his offensive play that's been even more stunning.When Peyton Krebs took a reckless double minor for high sticking with 5:36 left, a tying goal by the Rangers seemed imminent. But 14 seconds later, the game was essentially over.
Ryan McLeod got the puck ahead to Samuelsson, who was initially content with running some time down. But Rangers forward Alexis Lafreniere backed away and Samuelsson attacked the net, burning Jonathan Quick over the shoulder and under the crossbar with a snapshot to put Buffalo ahead, 4-2, and relieve the pressure. McLeod added an empty netter in the final two minutes.
"I was definitely trying to go short side," Samuelsson said. "I think everyone kind of knows Quick's style, growing up watching him. He's more of a down-low goalie for sure."
Samuelsson has seven goals this season − after scoring seven in the 212 games he played in his first five NHL campaigns. He's already blown away his career high with 22 points.
"That was probably as good as any goal scorer," cracked Ruff. "That's a goal scorer's shot right there, short side over the shoulder, right next to the ear."
"When he has the rock right now, we kind of trust him and let him do his thing," Doan said. "From the angle he was at, I thought maybe I jumped a little early and it might've hit the outside of the net. But when he was celebrating, we figured it was in the back of the cage. That's an unbelievable shot, probably the best shot I've seen live."
What it means
The Sabres are a playoff team this late in the season for the first time since Feb. 24, 2023. They entered Friday one point behind Pittsburgh for the East's second wild card and they're starting to create separation.The Rangers, for instance, fell four points back of the Sabres, and Buffalo has three games in hand. New Jersey is four back and the Sabres have two in hand. Ottawa is five back and the Sabres have one game in hand.
When it was over, a New York reporter asked Ruff, a former Rangers player and assistant coach, if he was going to step back and enjoy the remarkable run his team was on.
Ruff didn't flinch. "For the next five minutes," the coach said. "Have you seen our schedule?"
The Sabres have five games in an eight-day span beginning Saturday night against Anaheim. At least they're all at home in KeyBank Center, where they're 13-5-2