When you almost single-handedly end a team’s six game losing skid, with a phenomenal 46-save performance against the defending Stanley Cup Champions, you get the next start, right?
Nope.
Coach Dan Bylsma said he considered putting Anders Nilsson in for a second consecutive game, but instead will go back to Robin Lehner. He said Nilsson will be back in for one of the next couple games.
Brought in as a backup to Robin Lehner, Anders Nilsson hasn’t see much action, but he’s making the most of it when he does.
In five games this season, he’s 2-1-2, with a 1.74 goals against average and .951 save percentage. After letting in three goals in each of his first two games, he’s allowed a total of three in the last three, including a shutout. Pretty impressive numbers, to say the least.
The 26-year-old stood on his head Saturday in a 2-1 shootout win over the Penguins, stopping 46 of 47 shots through overtime. He kept his team in the game when they probably shouldn’t have been. The only goal that beat him was a Sidney Crosby snipe on the power play.
In the shootout, he stoned Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Chris Letang – some of the world’s best players.
“I try to be as patient as possible. Let them make the first move and try to make the save.” –Anders Nilsson
Looking calm and cool, the 6’5”, 227 pounds Swede added “I feel pretty confident out there. The two points were huge for us. Maybe it wasn’t the prettiest win, but we wound up with a win and I think it’s going to give us some confidence moving forward.”
The Flames (8-11-1) played last night, a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings, so the Sabres should take every advantage of their fresher legs. The last time these teams met, October 18, the Sabres fell 4-3 in overtime in Calgary. Lehner took the loss. In his last five games, he’s 0-4-1 with a 3.15 goals-against average in his last five games.
Since October 22, 1997, the Sabres have posted a 10-0-1 home record in the series, limiting Calgary to two goals or less nine times while scoring at least three goals eight times.