Last night, the Buffalo Sabres traveled to sunny South Florida to take on the Florida Panthers at the Bank Atlantic Center. Apparently, Panther fans weren’t aware that a game was being played, as about 75% of the fans in attendance were outfitted in Sabres apparel. There was about 12,000 fans in attendance (the arena holds approximately 19,000), and while seeing scores of LaFontaine and Perrault jerseys as I made my way to my seats, I knew I was in for a good time.
Atmosphere
The Panther fans completely lacked energy, and all rally cries were quickly drowned out by chants of “Lets Go Sabres!” My section was filled with Buffalo natives and by the second period, we felt like we had known each other for years. The arena was eerily quiet for the majority of the game, and Panther fans didn’t seem into the game.
Throughout the commercial breaks, the Panthers kept hyping up “The Blueprint,” which apparently is their vision to elevate them from pretenders to contenders, and I believe they may be the only team in the NHL with cheerleaders, outfitted with cowboy hats…go figure.
The Game
The game got off to a slow start, despite the Sabres having the puck in the Panthers zone for the majority of the first period. Panthers goalie, Thomas Vokoun, made some nice saves, only for the Panthers to dump it down the ice.
In the second period, Sabres defenseman Mike Weber lit the lamp for his third goal of the year, on a great assist from Jason Pominville. The game got a little chippy, and as the checks got harder, there was a little skirmish between Cody McCormick and Darcy Hordichuk, that was was quicker than a Rick DiPietro knockout.
Shortly after, Nathan Gerbie almost got into it with Dennis Ellerbe, and was penalized for slashing, putting the Panthers on the power play. Shorthanded and in their own zone, the Sabres weren’t able to kill the penalty, and Panthers forward Steve Bernier put a snap shot behind Ryan Miller.
Tied 1-1 after the second, the third period was back and forth until Thomas Vanek lit the lamp after assists from Jason Pominville and Tyler Myers. The Panthers tied it up, and at the end of regulation, the score was still tied at 2-2.
Overtime was exciting, and coming down to the last seconds, Tyler Mylers snagged the puck, and fired a slap shot over the right shoulder of Thomas Vokoun to win the game with 4.5 seconds remaining on the clock.
Best and Worst
Tyler Myers definitely earns the award for the best player in the game, due to his game winning goal and his second period assist. He was tough on the boards
I liked what I saw from Nathan Gerbie as well. Despite his small stature, the kid can skate and he isn’t afraid to get into it with the bigger, stronger guys.
Thomas Vokoun earns the worst player award. Don’t get me wrong, he made some great saves, but for a goalie with his potential, he could’ve stopped one or two of the three goals scored on him.
Leaving the arena was awesome. Fans were singing “Shout” all the way through the parking lot. It was a great experience, and felt like I was back in Buffalo.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
