Sens Win A Weird One Over Sabres, 6-2.
Isn't it fun when bad teams play each other?
What is it about the Sens and Sabres that makes their games so weird? Is it the similar history? The old rivalry that a good chunk of their fanbase doesn't even remember? Or is it just really fun when two bad teams play each other?
With these two teams at roughly the same place in their rebuilds, and not too far apart in the standings, I’m sure we were all looking forward to a tense and evenly matched game between equal opponents- wait, hold on, I’m hearing something.
The Sens scored the first goal, with Mark Kastelic tipping in a shot from Boris Katchouk that probably shouldn’t have gone in. But hey, it’s nice to see the team get a lucky break, and I’m sure that goal will prove to be important when the game continues completely normally, as games between the Sens and Sabres famously always do.
Okay this was the first one...#GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/KxpRSbSve3
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) March 27, 2024
Anyways, they scored again right after that.
This time it was Parker Kelly who shot the puck, and Katchouk who tipped it. That’s his first goal as a Senator. The goal also happened immediately after a great scoring chance for the Sabres, because defense is for losers. Or... teams in that are in a playoff spot? Same thing, basically.
Boris tipping this one like he thought it was a flying squirrel named Rocky trying to foil his schemes#GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/GxUQNsrCX2
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) March 27, 2024
Then Batherson scored to make it 3-0.
Ah yes, Drake used the old "pass it off the defender's skate and then out-wait the goalie" move!🚨 #GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/hAoiQBvyL3
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) March 27, 2024
While everyone was having fun scoring on the Sabres goaltender, Dominic Kubalik decided to throw his hat into the ring and go on a breakaway. The goalie actually stopped that shot. Some things never change.
Right after the save was made, the play went right back up the other end of the ice, as it was Buffalo’s turn to get a breakaway. Korpisalo stopped that shot, and play continued until Chychrun scored to make it 4-0. That would spell the end of the Sabres’ goalie’s night.
Pure HEAT behind this one from Chychy 💥 ‼️ #GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/GGczbmmBq8
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) March 28, 2024
Brady Tkachuk scored on the new goaltender with less than a minute left in the period. The Sens led by 5(!) goals after 20 minutes.
A smooth 4-on-4 passing play finished off by Brady to make it 5-0 🤌 ‼️ #GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/iQRTcB94Kb
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) March 28, 2024
To the surprise of absolutely no one, score effects kicked in big time in the second period. The Sens started out well enough, with a good powerplay, but it was all downhill from that. Buffalo broke the shutout, making the score 5-1, early on in the period, and kept up the pressure for a while. There was a long stretch where it looked like they were on the powerplay, but they weren’t. The Sens were just bad.
Buffalo eventually got a second goal, cutting the lead to 3, and suddenly a comeback didn’t seem so far fetched…
It’s fine! Buffalo completely crumbled in the third period and failed to get anything going, so it didn’t matter that the Sens were also playing badly. Finally, we had our evenly matched game.
Pinto iced the game, scoring his 8th goal of the season into an empty net. He had actually assisted on a bunch of the earlier goals, so this was his first career four-point game.
Game Notes
- Angus Crookshank got injured in the first period after taking a hit from Bowen Byram, and although it looked pretty serious in the moment, he did eventually return to the game. Let’s hope he’s alright.
- What a game for Jakob Chychrun. He was especially good on the powerplay, and could have scored many goals.
- Chabot left the game in the third period, and didn’t return. Hopefully it was just precautionary. He just cannot catch a break with these injuries.
