Game 41: Perspectives

The Sabres snapped a three-game winless streak with a 4-3 shootout win against the red-hot Washington Capitals and made us view things in different ways.

BUFFALO — One of the fears of the Buffalo Sabres returning home riding a three-game winless streak was that the streak would continue. After watching a losing streak snowball out of control in December to the tune of 13 games, it’s a natural reaction. Particularly since each streak began after a three-game win streak was snapped.

With the Washington Capitals, one of the NHL’s best teams, in town the feeling was ominous outside of the Sabres room. Fortunately for the players, they were able to put things together and not crack after losing the lead three times and pulled off a 4-3 shootout win and end the streak.

They don’t have to be pretty. They don’t have to be so sweaty. They just have to be wins from here on out.

“We know the goal,” Alex Tuch said. “We know how to do it. It hasn’t happened every single night. We’ve been able to find wins when we weren’t doing it. We’ve lost when we were playing the right way, too. So, a lot of games have been really close. Have gone both ways, obviously – have gone against us recently, especially during the 13-game span. But I think the work ethic that our group has shown in the past two or three weeks has been a lot better. I think the commitment to playing the right way, to better D-zone, to blocking shots, to sacrificing for one another, I think has been a lot better. It hasn’t been perfect by any means. It needs to be better, continue to get better.”

Sitting at the bottom of the standings in the Eastern Conference and beating the team perched at the top is something that should inspire the Sabres. The Capitals certainly weren’t happy with their game, but they can’t be perfect every night. No team can be and teams can’t be imperfect every game either.

Buffalo’s game on Monday wasn’t perfect, that’s for sure, but winning when imperfect has been difficult at times. Winning when not having an A-game against an elite team should be the kind of win that sparks a run.

“We got a great effort, we came out good,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “Obviously we responded almost every time they scored. We paid a big price for turning the puck over on that last goal, and then we got tired people on the ice. We’d actually done a really good job in our D-zone, but when you’ve got tired people, you’re not quick to cover, and it cost us the tying goal. But I do like the response in overtime. I mean, unbelievable goal by Tuchy to get us through the first three. And then our goaltender closed the door, and JJ, heck of a shot to win it for us.”

More from a win that, if things rebound in the second half of the season, could be one that signaled a turnaround.