The drama finally came to an end when Victor Olofsson slammed a one-time feed home with 18 seconds remaining as the crowd exploded, completely and utterly spent from the epic they had witnessed. Remarkably, the extra period managed to surpass even that. The matchup was a brawny see-saw battle that featured four lead changes, three unanswered goals by both teams and the Sabres tying the game with less than three minutes left in regulation. 7’s contest against the Minnesota Wild in Buffalo may have been the NHL’s game of the year in terms of sheer entertainment value, and the crowd was buzzing all night long. Madness in OvertimeĪ recurring theme this season (and on this list) was the Sabres’ dramatics in overtime, and this was the best example by far. 10 on its Top 15 Goals of the Year list (though it probably should have been higher than that). It was one of the prettiest tallies in Sabres history, and the NHL even named it No. But Thompson then entered the proceedings, intercepting the puck in front of the Lightning net and scoring a goal so impressive that it’s difficult to describe in words. The Sabres came out flat against the Lightning, and the 2-0 score towards the end of the first period did not reflect how badly they were getting outplayed. the Detroit Red Wings on Halloween and a stunning five-goal torching of the Columbus Blue Jackets in December were both incredibly impressive, but the moment that dropped the most jaws came on Nov. The towering centerman proved that his breakout in the previous campaign was not a fluke, and he established himself as one of the top scorers in the NHL. One of the biggest reasons for the Sabres’ success this season was the performance of Tage Thompson. Lyubushkin’s first season with the Sabres may have been unremarkable, but he’ll always have that moment to hang his hat on. It was his first goal in a Buffalo uniform, and it gave the team one of its most memorable victories of the season. The Russian, not known for his speed, charged up ice on a breakaway, beating goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy on the short side to win the game. With the game tied at five in overtime and the Sabres shorthanded, defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin stripped Lightning captain Steven Stamkos in the Buffalo zone. Related: Introducing the Sabres 2023 NHL Draft Picks Buffalo would get revenge, though, and it came from the unlikeliest of sources. Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak caused an uproar when he sent Sabres captain Kyle Okposo to the locker room with an elbow to the head that went unpenalized (albeit he was later suspended). The Sabres rose to the occasion in Tampa, however, and found themselves locked in an air-tight battle. It seemed to take the wind out of the team’s sails, and the always-dangerous Tampa Bay Lightning ahead on the schedule rubbed salt in it further. Ryan O’Reilly made his debut for the Maple Leafs in Buffalo and proceeded to score a hat-trick (the second former Sabre to do so this season after Jack Eichel in November). 21, the Sabres were handed a particularly demoralizing loss against the arch-rival Toronto Maple Leafs. He still has growing to do, but if this showing was anything to go off, things are looking very promising.Īnd now, onto the list. It was one of the team’s most unlikely wins of the season and showed that the Finn has what it takes to be a force in goal going forward. The 23-year-old stood on his head against the defending Stanley Cup champions and made a career-high 40 saves against the lethal Avalanche onslaught to help the Sabres snatch a 4-2 victory. 15 in Colorado, but he chose that moment to shine his brightest. He faced arguably his toughest test of the season on Dec. 1 goaltender in November and largely played well, giving the Sabres a boost they weren’t getting previously. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen took over as the No. Their goaltenders had a tough go of it, and a lackluster defense in front of them only compounded the issue, but this game was an exception. The Sabres had issues in their own zone all year long. It was a perfectly fitting tribute to a man who carried the team for nearly a decade and showed that while the Sabres are improving as a team, they are as an organization as well.
In honoring Miller, the Sabres recognized the innumerable good he did both on and off the ice in Buffalo, but they also atoned for the embarrassment that was Dominik Hasek’s paltry number retirement ceremony in 2015. It was a victory for fans and the organization alike.
The Sabres recognized Miller’s years of service by making him the eighth player in team history to have his number retired (HermanVonPetri).
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