If you look at just the score, it doesn’t look like the game between the Buffalo Sabres and Anaheim Ducks was very eventful.
However, the action picked up in the latter half of the game and the Sabres won after a 10-round shootout into the early hours of Saturday morning.
Zemgus Girgensons deked out Jonathan Bernier to seal Buffalo’s second shootout win of the season.
The shootout was kept alive by Rasmus Ristolainen a round earlier, when he perfected a beautiful move that surprised many.
RISTO. UNBELIEVABLE pic.twitter.com/PkUxOX8Uid
— SabresFanatics (@SabresFanatics) March 18, 2017
Anders Nilsson was incredible all night, stopping eight of 10 shots in the shootout. He’s been in goal for both of Buffalo’s shootout wins this season.
Nilsson kept giving the Sabres a chance to win it after making six straight saves, including a couple on Corey Perry and Cam Fowler.
It was Buffalo’s longest shootout win in terms of rounds in franchise history. They lost the only one that went longer (against Colorado in 11 rounds).
For Buffalo, Evan Rodrigues and Ristolainen got their first career attempts. Rodrigues lost control of the puck going in, but managed to get a shot on at the end.
Ryan O’Reilly scored after the puck took a lucky bounce off his skate and into the net. O’Reilly also scored in the shootout. Rickard Rakell tallied his 31st goal of the season for Anaheim.
The Sabres will complete their four game road trip on Monday when they visit the Detroit Red Wings. That game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and will be televised on NBCSN.