Sabres G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (1) - Jeffery T. Barnes/AP Photo
It was an exciting Saturday Matinee NHL game with the (29-30-5) Buffalo Sabres taking on the (38-21-2) Edmonton Oilers at the Key Bank Center in downtown Buffalo.
My family and I had the opportunity to watch the Buffalo Sabres and the Edmonton Oilers live and what a nervous ending it was.
How have the Buffalo Sabres Done so well Against the Edmonton Oilers?
It’s no secret that the Edmonton Oilers have been one of the top-five teams in the NHL this year. They arguably have the GOAT of hockey in star center Connor McDavid.
McDavid is a once in a generation type of player who does things that even Wayne Gretzky couldn’t do with the Edmonton Oilers.
To compare, Gretzky was an alpha male, fast skater, playing in an era where players were like alpha Neanderthals wanting to fight like in the WWE.
As for McDavid, he is twice as fast as any player in the league, where now it’s about speed, skill, and puck possession. I’ve never seen what he could do before live and I was very impressed.
The Hart Memorial Trophy winner is so fast, that he makes Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin look like turtles.
He is also shifty with the puck in his stick and before you can blink, he is halfway down the rink before the other hockey players.
However, the 27-year-old does not look like the GOAT, especially when playing the Sabres.
Buffalo held him to no goals in the game, including a big save on him in the shootout by star goalie, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
Buffalo Sabres First 2 points in Overtime
Don Granato and his team believed they won when defenseman Owen Power appeared to have scored the game-winning goal while overcoming Skinner with two seconds left.
The Sabres were already on the ice celebrating, while the Oilers were in their dressing room changing their uniforms.
Due to an automatic both review, the goal was disallowed. Bowen Byrum’s skate was offside before the play.
Both teams had to come back out of the locker rooms with 20 seconds left.
Buffalo Sabres Second 2 points in Overtime
While we were still overcoming our disbelief of Power’s goal being waived off, we were ready for the shoot-out. I have gone to several Sabres games before, but have never witnessed a shoot-out.
It was tied at two goals each. Alex Tuch was our hope in breaking the tie in the shoot-out. He dragged his skates up the ice and fived-holed it right back at Skinner to break the tie.
Lastly, it was up to Luukkonen to make one more stop for the victory. Lo and behold, he did just that.
The players, the coaches, and the fans all took a deep breath, hoping that this meant a win for the Blue and Gold this time.
And now it was finally time to celebrate the Sabres win over the Oilers.
The 25-year-old goalie Luukkonen, who was celebrating a birthday, went out in style.
This is Luukkonen’s first career win against the Oilers and he had 30 saves. This snaps a three-game losing streak for the team.
Skinner faced 25 shots as they lost their second-straight game.
The two teams will face each other again in Edmonton on March 21, 2024, for the last and final game of their series.
