The Buffalo Sabres hosted the Montreal Canadiens tonight, looking to continue their march toward the playoffs.
Buffalo started the game quick, laying on severe pressure. This pressure turned into a handful of good scoring chances for the Sabres but they were unable to turn those chances into goals.
Although the Sabres dominated, evident by the 14-6 shot differential, the Canadiens were able to take a Sabres turnover and turn it into the first goal of the game.
When the second period began, the Sabres continued to apply pressure to the Canadiens.
The pressure finally paid off when 11:08 into the second period, the Sabres tied the game.
Tyler Ennis scored his 9th of the season on a gorgeous goal where he highlighted his excellent stick handling ability.
Heading into the third period, the game was all tied up at one goal a piece.
The Sabres would continue to apply pressure, as they had throughout the entire game. The team’s aggressive play continually gave the team many scoring opportunities that other wise would not have been possible.
Tyler Ennis, who had been an offensive presence in the second period, wasted little time putting another goal on the board.
1:50 into the final period, Ennis went to pass the puck to an open Marcus Foligno. Only problem was that the puck went off the stick of a Canadiens defender and that puck went into the net, putting Buffalo up 2-1 on what would be Tyler Ennis’ 10th goal of the year.
The rest of the third period would see the Sabres as the team with the momentum. This would stand until the final thirty seconds of play in the game.
Montreal pulled their goaltender as they consistently increased pressure on the Sabres. With five seconds to go in regulation, the Canadiens would tie the game at two.
As this game headed into overtime, one would think that Montreal would continue with the pressure but Buffalo quickly took that back.
The Sabres were able to establish puck presence quickly in Montreal’s zone in overtime, which would be a precursor of things to come.
2:01 into overtime, the Sabres would score the game-winning goal off the stick of Tyler Myers. Derek Roy would be the man to set the play up but as Roy and Pominville had a two-on-one rush, Pominville continued to head towards the net which allowed Myers to sneak in and score the game-winner.
The Sabres move into 9th place with this victory and they currently sit two points behind Washington for 8th place.
Buffalo will play again on Wednesday night at the First Niagara Center versus the Colorado Avalanche. The puck drops at 7:30 pm and the game will be broadcast nationally on the NBC Sports Network.