I Watched This Game: Record Breaking Time?

Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

 Tonight is a special edition of "I Watched This Game," as the Buffalo Sabres are on the verge of history. Tonight, as in Wednesday, if I happen to post late, they take on the Philadelphia Flyers, where they have a chance to hold a dubious distinction of longest winless streak all to themselves. How did it get here? I will set the table, and hope it doesn't get broken.

Their 18 game winless streak has consisted of four shutouts, a coach getting fired, the GM behind the bench for a game, Eric Staal getting a "Get out of jail free" card, every team in the division getting at least one win, and three total points just for reaching overtime. However, nothing in that streak was more painful than Monday's game against the Flyers. Up 3-0 entering the third period, the Flyers score three unanswered goals in the period before Ivan Provorov put an end to things in overtime. In that time, the Sabres missed a chance to ice the game late when Tage Thompson missed an open net, only for Sean Couturier to score at the other end.

Now that I've given context, let's go to the game.

First period

• Brian Elliott and Linus Ullmark are in goal. Dylan Cozens is out due to injury, and Oskar Lindblom, Nolan Patrick, and Shayne Gostisbehere are scratched by the Flyers.
• Sloppy start to the game, as both teams have a fondness for icing the puck.
• Buffalo gets their act together long enough to strike first. A Kyle Okposo pass from the corner finds Sam Reinhart in front. He wrists one, and it goes in, with a little help from Justin Braun, to make it 1-0 Sabres. Rasmus Ristolainen gets an assist at 9:32.
• At 11:59, Riley Sheahan makes a block on a Flyers shot from the blue line, and corals it for a breakaway. He wisely sees Curtis Lazar trail behind him, and dishes it to him for a 2-0 lead.

After one period, the Sabres are up 2-0. Nationally televised game, and the announcers kept harping on Sabres mistakes as a reason for their 18 game winless streak. Both teams had trouble early, but Buffalo found some momentum in the middle of the period. Philadelphia has had a habit of starting slow, so let's hope this doesn't haunt them.

Second period 

• 54 seconds in, Tage Thompson high sticks Travis Sanehim in the Flyers' offensive zone. Two minutes, and a chance for the Flyers to swing momentum. 
• The Flyers don't score on the power play, but do get momentum on their side. They are rewarded with a goal at 3:50, as Ivan Provorov claps one off Brandon Montour in front and deflects past Ullmark. Sean Couturier and Jakub Voracek get the assists.
• The momentum swings the other way, as Buffalo is the team on the attack. Ristolainen feeds a puck out of the corner to a waiting Steven Fogarty, who lasers one past Elliott to restore the two goal lead for the Sabres. Jacob Bryson also gets an assist at 9:42.
• The hits continue for both Bryson and Fogarty, as this time, they are the givers to a perfect Casey Mittelstadt finish. That also spells the end of the night for Elliott at 15:39, as he gives way to Alex Lyon.
• A Henri Jokiharju clear attempt goes out of play, but without touching any of the boards. That is a delay of game at 16:51.

Here we are again, a three goal lead for Buffalo heading into the third period. Do they hold on this time? 

The Flyers had things going for them at the start of the period, but once the Fogarty goal happened, the house caved in. Fogarty and Bryson stood out here.

Third period

• Not much to note for the first half of the period, which is a good thing for Buffalo. They may hold on, after all.
• Thompson trips Sanheim at 13:38. I may be speaking too soon.
• Never mind, Philadelphia pulls Lyon, but the gamble fails, as Montour nails a shot almost the length of the ice at 14:53. Short-handed, and an empty net. It's pretty much over now.
• Now, it's really over, as Montour takes a shot at Lyon, but is stopped. He finds a rebound, and nets his second short handed goal at 15:30.

Game over, Buffalo snaps an 18 game winless streak. The score pretty much tells it all, as Buffalo played one of their best games in a while, and Philadelphia looked sleepy throughout most of the game. Ullmark finally gets rewarded for his efforts, and there's more of a direction, at least the last three games. Taylor Hall still needs to find his game, and Rasmus Dahlin showed flashes.

Mind Your Ps and Qs

Do you remember the Simpsons episode in which Kent Brockman vilified a wooden dummy named Gabbo for saying taboo things on air, only to forget that his mic was still on while he said the same taboo words on air? In last night's game between Detroit and Nashville, referee Tim Peel had a Kent Brockman moment. 

The call in question was a tripping by Viktor Arvidsson in which replays confirmed an embellishment by Jon Merrill. As mentioned by Reuters,

"It wasn't much, but I wanted to get a (expletive) penalty against Nashville early," Peel said a few minutes later before the TV broadcast went to commercial.

The 54-year-old Peel, who was scheduled to referee his final game in late April, has worked over 1,300 NHL regular season games and 90 playoff games.

 The NHL did not take too kindly to Peel revealing the secrets, and have sent Peel on his way a month before he was to retire. The statement by the NHL:

National Hockey League Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell announced today that Referee Tim Peel, following his comments during the game last night between the Detroit Red Wings and Nashville Predators, no longer will be working NHL games now or in the future.

“Nothing is more important than ensuring the integrity of our game,” Campbell said. “Tim Peel’s conduct is in direct contradiction to the adherence to that cornerstone principle that we demand of our officials and that our fans, players, coaches and all those associated with our game expect and deserve. There is no justification for his comments, no matter the context or his intention, and the National Hockey League will take any and all steps necessary to protect the integrity our game.”

 In all sports, there is always going to some level of favoritism by referees, and some even choose to not hide that fact. The thing you shouldn't do, no matter what, is say it while the game is actually going on. This kind of thing isn't going away anytime soon, but if there's anything to learn from this, it is to be aware of both your mic and any cameras on you, or else, you end up like Kent Brockman. 

13 and Counting...

 I originally was going to post about the Buffalo Sabres firing Ralph Krueger right after it happened yesterday. However, I decided to give it a day before making this post. In perhaps the least surprising result, the Sabres lost again, this time, 4-1 to Boston. Also, the picture you see sums up the Sabres' chances of winning at all this month. Before you ask, I cannot take credit for the picture. 

Let's rewind back to Tuesday. They had a 2-1 lead halfway through the game against New Jersey. New Jersey would score two unanswered goals to win 3-2, thus sealing Krueger's fate. Wednesday, Krueger and assistant coach Steve Smith were shown the door, and Don Granato was named interim coach, with Matt Ellis and Dan Girardi being interim assistants. Given these were hires under Krueger's watch, you would think this has potential for disaster. Tonight, at least, it was proven right, as the Sabres showed little resistance, only netting a Kyle Okposo goal in the first period. Okposo hadn't scored since February 23, 2020. That actually made it 1-1 before Boston ripped off three straight goals to end the game.

So, where does the streak end? Their month has Boston twice, the Rangers, and both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia twice. Their month of April begins with the Rangers, so it's entirety possible that the losing streak reaches 21. Their pointless streak sits at 5 right now, as they have in their current losing streak, made overtime twice.

Groundhog Day: Sabres Bugaloo

Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

 6-13-3. That is where the Buffalo Sabres stand after another loss to the New York Islanders Saturday afternoon. I'm pretty sure this has been put through the meat grinder three times over, but this team is bad. No way to sugarcoat it, and they're a mess in the front office, or whatever was left after last season. How did it get this way? There are many answers, but I will tackle one part of the problem, which is their ability to develop prospects. 

For this exercise, I will reference the Hockey News prospects magazine that is usually put out every year around this time, specifically, 2011. The top 10 prospects of the team for that year will be listed, along with what they went on to accomplish, with hockeydb as a source. 

• Zack Kassian: the team's top ranked prospect that year, he was a first round pick in 2009. He would suit up for 27 games with the Sabres in 2011-12 before getting traded for Cody Hodgson at the trade deadline. Never known for his offense, he's had stops in Vancouver, Montreal (he never suited up for them), and Edmonton, where his physical play is a welcome addition for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
• Luke Adam: a second round pick in 2008, Adam had the most time in the NHL in the 2011-12 season, playing 52 games. He would only have 38 other NHL games to his resume and 26 points total. He would be more of an AHL player in North America, leaving for Germany after the 2015-16 season, where he currently plays. 
• Marcus Foligno: A fourth round pick in 2009, Foligno actually spent five-plus seasons with the Sabres, providing quality third-line minutes on a Sabres team that lacked offense. 13 goals was his career high, accomplishing that in his final year with the team. In the 2017 offseason, he was traded with Tyler Ennis to Minnesota for Marco Scandella and Jason Pominville. In Minnesota, he has been the same player, this time, on a team that finally has a game breaker on offense.
• Mark Pysyk: The 2010 first round pick was never able to be a regular with the Sabres in four seasons with the team, amassing 55 games in the 2015-16 season as a high with them. He would be traded to Florida after that season for Dmitry Kulikov and a swap of second round picks, where he became a regular on their blue line. Prior to this season, he signed with Dallas, and despite the regular time the last few seasons, Pysyk was never the offensive defenseman the Sabres envisioned, with 18 points being a season high, accomplished in 2019-20.
• Brayden McNabb: The 2009 third round pick of the Sabres spent most of his tenure in the AHL, only in 37 games with the parent club before getting traded during the 2013-14 season to Los Angeles. He would begin his NHL career in earnest the following season, playing with the Kings for three seasons before getting claimed by Vegas in the 2017 expansion draft. A noted stay-at-home defender, McNabb is a regular on the shutdown pairing.
• Jhonas Enroth: The 2006 second round pick was not a big guy, limiting his potential as a starter in the league. He bounced between the Sabres and Portland of the AHL for a couple seasons before earning the backup job in 2011. He would play a season high of 37 games in the 2014-15 season with the Sabres before getting traded at the deadline to Dallas, where he would play 13 more games that season. His GAA numbers told the story of the team in front of him, as he posted a 3.27 GAA in Buffalo. In comparison, that number was 0.89 lower in Dallas. He would have his best season as a backup in Los Angeles in the 2015-16 season, playing 16 games and have a 2.17 GAA. That wasn't enough, as he would spend the following season mostly in the AHL, with a 6 game cameo for the Maple Leafs before heading to Europe after the season, where he's played in the KHL, Austria, and Sweden. 
• Marc-Andre Gragnani: The third round pick in the 2005 draft can be best classified as a 4-A player, way too good to be in the AHL, but not good enough to be in the NHL. 2011-12 was his "best" year in the NHL, as he played 58 games between Buffalo and Vancouver. However, his offensive touch from the blue line was nowhere to be found, as the AHL numbers never translated. In 2016, he went to Europe, where he has spent time in the KHL and Sweden.
• Drew Schiestel: The second round pick in 2007 never played in the NHL, having played in the AHL, ECHL, Germany, Denmark, Austria, and the English league.
• Jerome Gauthier-Leduc: A third round pick in 2010, he also never made the NHL, spending most of his North American career in the AHL. He has played in the Czech Republic, English league, Sweden, and Austria.
• Dennis Persson: The 2006 first round pick in 2006 never played in the NHL, as he struggled to adapt to the North American game. He was last on the ice in Sweden in 2016.

What did we learn from this list? It's a microcosm of one of Buffalo's biggest problems since the start of last decade: their inability to develop young talent. Of the players on the list, the only one you can say developed properly was Foligno, and he was never considered a top tier guy. Everyone else either had their best seasons on other teams or leagues, or never developed at all. This is not a new trend with the Sabres, as the only players they've drafted that became something are Jack Eichel, Rasmus Dahlin, and Sam Reinhart, and even then, the Sabres are on the verge of messing that up. The clean out of the staff after last season doesn't help, and given the team's struggles this season, it's not going to get better.

I Watched This Game: Lake Tahoe Edition, Part 2

 

Welcome back to another edition of I Watched This Game, and we're still at Lake Tahoe for a matchup between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Boston Bruins. This is a matchup of two of the top teams in the East, and like most non-Canadian teams, both have had games postponed. They are no strangers to each other, with Boston having the upper hand thus far in their meetings this season. 

Originally scheduled for 2 PM CST, it was moved up an hour, but because of the Vegas-Colorado game having issues with the sun, the Flyers-Bruins game is now playing at 6 pm CST.

Due to more delays, the game finally begins at 7 pm CST. Pentatonix sings the national anthem, and now, I finally understand the hype surrounding them.

First period

• Carter Hart and Tuukka Rask are in net to start the game.
• 34 seconds in, Brad Marchand Carrie's the puck into the zone and finds David Pastrnak cutting towards the net. A picture perfect pass and shot put Boston up 1-0. The play gets set up by a strong defensive effort by Patrice Bergeron.
• A dump and chase finds a carrom from the corner, and Joel Farabee charges in to slide one past Rask to tie it. James van Riemsdyk and Sean Couturier get assists at 6:41.
• A Couturier trip of Marchand leads to a Boston power play at 12:34. Nothing comes of it.
• However, Couturier hustles out of the box in time to begin a mad scramble in front of the net. He eventually finds the puck again, and back doors it to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead. Kevin Hayes and JVR get the assists at 14:48.
• The previous goal was helped by a Charlie McAvoy broken stick that essentially left Boston short handed. He gets a shot at redemption, as Marchand goes around the Flyers net, feeds McAvoy, who lets one fly from the point to tie it at 2. Connor Clifton has the other assist at 15:27.

An entertaining first period ends all tied at 2. Boston gets some bad news, as Jeremy Lauzon left after his first shift due to injury and was ruled out for the rest of the game.

Second period

• Boston wastes no time scoring again, as Nick Ritchie carries the puck into the zone. He finds Pastrnak, who threads the needle over Hart's glove side to give Boston a 3-2 lead. Urho Vaakanainen also gets an assist at 46 seconds.
• Philadelphia shoots themselves in the foot, as they are whistled for too many men on the ice at 6:18.
• This is where the wheels fall off for the Flyers, as they have a bad turnover, and one Craig Smith to Charlie Coyle connection later, it is 4-2 Bruins at 16:14.
• It gets worse for the Flyers, as Andy Andreoff cross checks a Bruins player after the goal, a big no-no.
• At 16:47, the Bruins score again, this time, before the previous goal could be announced, as Trent Frederic scores from the point to make it 5-2. John Moore and Clifton get the power play helpers.
• Just as that goal gets announced, you guessed it, Boston scores again. Moore's shot from the point gets tipped by Ritchie and past Hart to make it 6-2. Smith also gets an assist at 17:53.
• At 18:16, Anders Bjork gets called for holding. 

Boston broke this one open, thanks to both a 15-3 shots on goal advantage and the Flyers bring undisciplined. This would also spell the end of Hart's night, as he gets pulled after the period.

Third period

• Brian Elliott takes over in goal for the Flyers.
• Bjork goes into the box again, this time, for hooking at 9:31.
• Interference from Brandon Carlo at 12:37 leads to a Flyers power play. Seven seconds later, JVR redirects a shot past Rask to cut the deficit to 6-3. Ivan Provorov and Hayes with the assists.
• At this point, the Flyers should be opening a bakery because they love making turnovers. Jack Studnicka capitalizes on this, and finds Pastrnak at the dots. Hat trick, 7-3 Bruins at 17:04.

7-3 is the final, and the Bruins go home with 2 points. Yes, the Flyers were without their entire top line and a couple of other key forwards due to protocols, and yes, neither team got in practice before the game. That doesn't excuse the undisciplined play the Flyers showed. Boston minimized their mistakes, and Pastrnak was dominant on the scoresheet. 

Boston plays the Islanders on Thursday and Philadelphia gets the Rangers on Wednesday. 

I (Sort of) Watched This Game: Lake Tahoe Edition, Part One

 Even though the regularly scheduled outdoor games were scrapped this season, that doesn't mean there won't be any outdoor games. Two games are happening at Lake Tahoe, with Vegas and Colorado playing today, and Philadelphia and Boston playing tomorrow. That means another return of I Watched This Game. 

The first game sees the Colorado Avalanche take on the Vegas Golden Knights in a reverse retro game for both teams. Heavy favourites to win the Stanley Cup this year, it happens that they are also in the same reworked West Division and both had games postponed due to protocols. Colorado only resumed play last Sunday in a 1-0 defeat at the hands of the Golden Knights. That sets the stage for the first puck drop of the afternoon. 

Update: the second and third periods of the game play at 11 pm CST due to sun causing ice issues. I will post what I'm able to catch, so minimum, you're getting first period observations. 

First period:

• The starting goalies are Philipp Grubauer and Marc-Andre Fleury. Given the sun being in full effect, it was a good thing Vegas didn't go with the metallic gold helmets.
• Three minutes into the game, Colorado shows off some excellent passing, highlighted by Nathan MacKinnon spotting Sam Girard at the point, followed by a laser that finds its way past Fleury to make it 1-0 Avalanche. 
• Mark Stone raised his stick a little too high on Mikko Rantanen, and because it drew blood, that means he must sit for four minutes. 
• Vegas forgot that they only needed four men on the ice, and they get busted with too many men on the ice, to be served by Keegan Kolesar. That means 5-on-3 hockey for the rest of the period, with at least 37 seconds carrying over if Colorado doesn't score.

At the end of the first period, Colorado leads 1-0. They dominated most of the first half offensively, but Vegas would get their chances in the middle of the period. The Stone penalty was unfortunate, but the too many men penalty is an inexcusable lapse in judgement. 

At this point, the 18-minute clock for intermission had not started, and by the time the announcement was made to resume play at 11 pm, over an hour had lapsed.

From this point, everything is gathered from both the box score and video highlights.

Second period

• Colorado does not convert the power play to begin the period...eight hours later.
• William Carrier clears the puck over the board about three minutes into the period. He's in the box for that.
• At 7:37, Alex Pietrangelo fires the puck from the blue line, and after a scramble, Alec Martinez finds the loose puck and puts it past Grubauer to tie it at one. Jonathan Marchessault also touched the puck, so he gets an assist, as well.
• 4-on-4 action happens for two minutes, as Chandler Stephenson and Tyson Jost both sit, Stephenson for cross checking and Jost for interference. 
• MacKinnon makes a great defensive play on Stone, and going from end to end, he snipes one past Fleury stick side, giving the Avalanche the lead once again.
• A series of penalties occurs to end the period, with Joonas Donskoi interfering with Fleury at 16:15, Alex Tuch interfering with Grubauer at 17:44, and Andre Burakovsky high sticking Pietrangelo at 18:09.

This was a back and forth period that saw both teams show what they can do.

Third period

• More penalties begin the period, as Nazem Kadri tripped Keegan Kolesar at 1:59, and Cale Makar delays the game at 2:37 with a clear over the boards.
• Off a faceoff in the Vegas zone, MacKinnon drops a pass to a waiting Devon Toews, who proceeds to rip a shot from the blue line that gets past Fleury, thanks to traffic in front. Rantanen also touched the puck prior to the shot, so he also gets an assist. 3-1 Avalanche. 
• Zach Whitecloud keeps the puck in the Avalanche zone, finds Tuch along the boards. Tuch makes a beautiful spin move from the corner to the front of the net and backhands one past Grubauer to get the Golden Knights within one at 14:25.
• The Avalanche hang on for the rest of the game, and take this one 3-2.

Even with the prolonged break, this was still everything as advertised. MacKinnon showed why he is one of the best players in the league right now, contributing to all three Avalanche goals in the game. Both teams will get to do this again Monday in Colorado.

The Unsung Hero

 

I know I haven't posted in a while, and yes, much has changed in the world. The 2021 NHL season has been as chaotic as you think, given the interruptions both in and out of teams' control, but there have been some pleasant surprises. 

The Chicago Blackhawks were widely thought to be rebuilding this year, given their depth, or lack thereof. As of this writing, they are tied for first in the reworked Central Division, albeit, with some schedule luck. They are playing with at least 5-6 newcomers, and until recently, had major questions in goal. So, who is the guy pictured? Kevin Lankinen, a 25-year old Finn who is playing his first season in the NHL. He currently has a 7-2-3 record and a 2.29 GAA, with his first shutout coming in last night's 2-0 win at Detroit.

Lankinen is as close to an out-of-nowhere story as it gets, as he wasn't even drafted by an NHL team. In fact, he was considered an afterthought, as he didn't start regularly until the 2014-15 season, when he played with HIFK. It wasn't until 2018, when Chicago signed him to a two-year entry level deal. He was named as the Rockford Ice Hogs' representative in the AHL All-star game in 2020. At the start of the season, it was unclear where he would be, as his competition included Malcolm Subban and Colin Delia. Lankinen has impressed thus far, and in the process, may have finally answered the call to be the successor to Corey Crawford.