Part III

With 20 games left in the season, the Sabres hit the road for 5 games, starting with a 5-3 loss to Florida. After the deadline, they were shutout in Tampa Bay. Their center spine that night, in line order, was Phil Varone, Johan Larsson, Tim Schaller, and Matt Ellis, all of whom started the season in Rochester, and all of whom weren’t Mikhail Grigorenko. The 20-year-old was recalled following the Florida legs of the road trip to replace Schaller in the spine. It would be an “18 game tryout” for Varone and Larsson too, but for Grigorenko, whose ELC was going to expire in the summer, it was possibly his last chance in the organization.

While he thought that he was getting more comfortable with age, his coach was still concerned with his work ethic. The Sabres were Hamburglar-ed in Ottawa for their third loss in as many games on the trip, and the next day, the team sent him back to Rochester again. Ted Nolan used the term lackadaisical to describe his game that night. The team moved on to Washington without him and were blown out 6-1. Four days later in Toronto, they finished the road trip with a 4-3 shootout loss. The return home wasn’t fruitful either, as they were shutout by the Rangers and then went down in another 4-3 shootout lost to the Capitals. The next night in Boston, they flipped the script and were the shootout victors, snapping their seven game losing streak, which was the second longest of the season.

Their record after that March 17 game was 20-43-7. With 12 games left, the finish line was becoming increasingly closer game-by-game. The single-game results felt larger. Anders Lindback’s 44 saves against the Bruins was notable enough to be referred to as “sabotage” by Greg Wyshynski. A reminder that this was their first win in 7 games. And for those who remember Part 2 of the series, it was the first time they allowed less than 2 goals since Jhonas Enroth shut out the Kings on December 10. Sabotage! The credit he gave to Arturs Irbe for bringing out the best in him was nice, but it didn’t matter right now outside of the locker room.

Returning home from Boston, they got right back in the loss column with a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the New Jersey Devils. The building was sold out, and a cheer rained down from the arena when a Sabres goal was waved off by review. Also Steve Bernier scored twice so that’s fun. After getting on a plane the next night to play in Nashville, they were shutout again. 20-45-7.

The Final 10

Finally, the games you definitely remember. But first, a moment in a memorable game you may have forgotten.

March 23, 2015: Dallas Stars 4 – Buffalo Sabres 3 (Full game is on Youtube)

While the Sabres get bombarded with shot attempts in Dallas, they lead on three separate occasions. Jamie Benn carries the Stars to even the game up after each of those Sabres goals until the Stars take the lead with 3:14 to play off a wrist shot from…CODY EAKIN?!

March 26: The Big Game (Full game on YouTube)

Neither the Sabres nor the Coyotes wanted to think or talk about it.

A future Sabre, however, was locked in.

I’ve got a 13-year-old boy that follows it like you wouldn’t believe, so I know all their stats and I know everything they’re doing. I’m aware of historically how good each of them are.

–Shane Doan talking about his son Josh following McDavid and Eichel’s 2014-15 seasons

In their last 20 games coming into The Big One, they were 2-17-1. That coincided with big deadline sell-offs of their own, notably seeing Devan Dubnyk, Antoine Vermette, Keith Yandle, and Zbynek Michalek traded in the early months of 2015. They didn’t hit 14 losses in a row like the Sabres, but they had streaks of 5, 7, 10, and 8, the last of which was snapped in overtime two nights prior in Detroit. They went February 3 to April 4 between regulation wins. They did, indeed, also stink.

Since we’ve focused a lot on the things we’ve forgotten about the season, we’ll let the highlights do the talking.

The arena bowl sold out. The only person who wasn’t in attendance of note? Tim Murray, who was in Erie.

I watch him too much and I think too much about him. I wish I could help myself.

You go through a year like this, it’s tough. I feel bad for our players, I really do. It’s been a tough year. I’m the type of GM, as everybody can see, I’ve traded away a lot of good players for the simple fact we have to get better. Our time’s the future. This guy I call our franchise-changing player.

-Tim Murray on Connor McDavid via New York Times

March 28: Colorado Avalanche 5 – Buffalo Sabres 3 (Full game on YouTube)

Blink an eye and all of a sudden the Sabres have scored 9 times in 3 games coming off a stretch where it took 6 games to get their previous 9 goals. They even controlled the puck pretty well. Didn’t matter, though, because they went down 4-0 after two periods. Andrej Meszaros scored twice in the third, and Rasmus Ristolainen scored in his second game in a row, so the blue line at least finished the game strong. The loss was there fifth in a row and 12th in their last 13.

It was another game that had Mikhail Grigorenko in the spotlight, with the center taking on his junior coach’s team. This was also notable because it already wasn’t a secret how much interest the Sabres had in Ryan O’Reilly.

I’m not nervous for him. I’m confident that eventually he’ll find his way with the Sabres. I think he’s learning. Some players develop faster than others. I’m sure the expectations are very high for him in Buffalo, but Grigo has a lot of skills, has a lot of hockey sense.

-Patrick Roy on Mikhail Grigorenko (March 29)

March 30: Buffalo Sabres 4 – Arizona Coyotes 1 (Full Game on Youtube)

Hardly The Big Game II in hindsight, as the extra point for Arizona four days earlier was more of an opportunity to spread out some more cushion in the standings (just don’t tell that to your Twitter feed that night). But it was a big night for the same two Sabres as the game before. Connor Murphy scored first to put the Coyotes up 1-0 early, but the second period saw two more goals from Andrej Meszaros to put the Sabres in the lead after 2. Shorthanded in the closing minutes, Brian Gionta put an empty-netter in, and Rasmus Ristolainen piggy-backed scored on a yawning net as well with his third goal in as many games. Are we being pranked?

April 1: Buffalo Sabres 4 – Toronto Maple Leafs 3 (Full Game on YouTube)

Yeah maybe we’re getting pranked.

The Sabres returned home and won in regulation for the first time since February 26. Zac Dalpe scores his only of the season to open scoring. The game winner comes in the 3rd period from Matt Ellis (also his only goal of the season, and his last of his NHL career).

They were still 2 points up on Arizona after the win. They also owned the tiebreaker. But it felt a little bit like less of a joke two games later.

April 3: Chicago Blackhawks 4 – Buffalo Sabres 3 (Full Game on YouTube)

It was Marcus Foligno’s turn to score twice, bookending a 3 goal run from the Sabres after Duncan Keith and Patrick Sharp scored in the first to give Chicago the lead. The Blackhaws were 24-0-0 on the season when leading after two periods, and in 2 minutes, the Sabres were about to win again. The Coyotes were about to lose to the Sharks later this night.

Chicago’s captain just needed 47 seconds to save their day…and the day of the locals. Onward.

I have a friend that was at the game and I got a text message saying Buffalo fans were cheering when they lost. It’s kind of a bizarre thing to think about — that fans are cheering against their team, hoping that they lose. But I guess, really, they’re just excited about the future.

-Jack Eichel (April 6)

April 4: New York Islanders 3 – Buffalo Sabres 0 (Full Game on YouTube)

That’s more like it. In Bryan Trottier’s final trip to the Coliseum, the Sabres get shutout for the 13th time on the season, with former Sabre Jaroslav Halak making 21 saves in the shutout. Later that night, the Coyotes got revenge on the Sharks in the second leg of their home-and-home.

It could end as soon as Monday.

April 6: Buffalo Sabres 4 – Carolina Hurricanes 3 (Full Game on YouTube)

4-3 over Carolina would’ve been more helpful years earlier. Alas (too soon?)

Mikhail Grigorenko scores for the second time on the season and first time since January 6. Buffalo gets out to a 4-0 lead and holds off goals in the third period from Alexander Semin and Eric Staal to hold on for the win. While The T Word doesn’t get put away once and for all, the turdburgers do play their swan song.

The next night, Arizona loses in Calgary 3-2. Two nights later, the Canucks blank them 5-0. The Coyotes only got shutout 11 times on the year, helping them average just over 2 goals for per game compared to the history the Sabres were setting. The next chance to end it was in Columbus, and at long last:

April 10: Columbus Blue Jackets 4 – Buffalo Sabres 2 (Full game on YouTube)

Nick Foligno scores 14 seconds in, but Mikhail Grigorenko is there again to score what would be his final Sabres goal. Matt Calvert gives Columbus the lead to end the first. Brian Gionta scores on the powerplay for the lone goal of the second. In the third, the Blue Jackets kill off a penalty, and 25 seconds later, Cam Atkinson gives the Blue Jackets the lead. Boone Jenner scores with 10 seconds left on the empty net.

Now, after 81 mentally draining games for the organization and the fanbase, it’s over.

April 11: Pittsburgh Penguins 2 – Buffalo Sabres 0

The Sabres wear white at home, representative of the end of a struggle. They have the chance to finish the season with something for the home crowd to cheer about alongside them in unison.

They get shutout for the 14th time instead. Brandon Sutter scores both Pittsburgh goals. Anders Lindback and Sidney Crosby get coincidental roughing penalties in the first.

23-51-8, 54 Points, 30th out of 30 teams.

(Photo Credit: Buffalo Sabres Twitter)