Game 53: Everything we've learned was wrong
For the first time since January 2023, the Sabres have won four games in a row after a 3-2 win against Columbus.
BUFFALO — It’s been a discussion-filled couple of days surrounding the Buffalo Sabres thanks to the lack of response they had after Tage Thompson was knocked out of Sunday’s game against New Jersey and missed Tuesday night’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
You may recall the message after the game against the Devils was that the lack of response for that hit was because the Sabres wanted to secure the win and getting that instead of payback for their top scorer being taken out by a dirty hit was the priority. Coach Lindy Ruff was mad as hell, players were muted more or less about their lack of response, but two points were secured and that’s that, right?
Well…
Ahead of Tuesday’s game, the discussion was far different. Both Alex Tuch and Dylan Cozens divulged after morning skate that there was a meeting on Monday about that lack of team response for Thompson and under no uncertain terms, it was made clear that that cannot ever happen again. Not standing up for a team leader and, again, looking like a team that will shy away from any and all physical bullying is something that just couldn’t happen.
“You have more than one moment like that in a year usually,” Ruff said Tuesday morning. “We’ve had several. Really, it is about growing. They’re important. It’s important when you have meetings about games where you get blown out or when you’re giving up all kinds of terrible goals, it’s about growing together. The only way to get better is learn from where you’ve been.”
When the starting lineups were filled out ahead of Tuesday’s game, the Blue Jackets—who entered the game missing roughly five key players—started a line that featured their toughest and most physical forward Mathieu Olivier. Since the home team gets to choose how to counter, the Sabres’ 11 forward-7 defense lineup gave Ruff the chance to put blue liner Dennis Gilbert out to start and what seemed more than obvious what would happen, did three seconds into the game when Gilbert and Olivier chucked fists.
“Fight was, I mean, I’d rather have a fight that means something,” Ruff said. “I mean, really. I mean, great on Gibby. I don’t know if they had something in mind, their squad, I had no idea, but I wasn’t going to take a chance.”
It wasn’t just the fight that happened, there was the game, too, and we’ll get into that as well just ahead…
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