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Ryan Miller is back in goal for the Sabres, after Jhonas Enroth picked up the W against the Candiens a pair of days ago. You can add your comments in the thread below, and feel free to interact with me on Twitter: @PatWGR. I will add my two cents throughout the game as well. While you are on Twitter, give Brian Koziol a follow: @BrianWGR. Also, here is Paul Hamilton's pregame primer.
First Period
19:23 - The first "Go Leafs Go" chant has started in the seating bowl. This could be a wild one here tonight.
17:51 - Double barreled action going on right now as Patrick Kaleta and Colton Orr are teeing off at one side of the ice, and John Scott and Fraser McClaren are tossing bombs at one another. This is getting good already. Orr may get an extra minor for going after Kaleta, we will see.
17:17 - Orr does indeed receive an instigator, which carries a game misconduct with it. He is out, to go along with two initially for cross checking. Four minute power play for the blue and gold.
13:48 - Shots are 5-0 in favor of the Sabres, but fail to get on the scoresheet with the four minute power play. The best chance was a shot by Christian Ehrhoff that went right off of James Reimer's mask.
11:12 - MAPLE LEAFS GOAL. Dion Phaneuf draws Steve Ott into an unsportsmanlike conduct minor, and Toronto capitalizes almost immedately. Tyler Bozak wires a shot into the back of the net, on a shot that I am not sure Ryan Miller saw. Either way, Buffalo is down by a goal. 1-0 TOR.
9:45 - MAPLE LEAFS GOAL. Nazem Kadri makes it a two-goal lead for Toronto, thanks to some shoddy defense in front. Tyler Myers loses his assignment, and it is a relative tap in for the forward. 2-0 TOR.
4:22 - Toronto definitely got a boost from the double minor penalty kill. They parlayed that into a quick powe play goal and an even strength tally less than two minutes apart. It has been a much better period for the visitors after the first five minutes.
1:06 - SABRES GOAL. Take 'em any way you can get 'em, as Tyler Ennis stuns "Optimus Reim" and slides the puck between his legs to get the blue and gold on the scoreboard. The goal comes with :01 left on Mark Fraser's minor. 2-1 TOR.
TOR - 2, BUF - 1
Goal Summary
BUF: 18:54 - Tyler Ennis (9) PPG (Steve Ott, Christian Ehrhoff)
TOR: 8:48 - Tyler Bozak (9) PPG (Phil Kessel, Dion Phaneuf). 10:04 - Nazem Kadri (12) (Nikolai Kulemin, Clarke MacArthur).
Shots on Goal
BUF - 11, TOR - 5
Second Period
16:51 - Much quieter start to this period than the first. The puck has stayed in the Buffalo zone most of this stanza.
13:18 - Shots are 4-2, Toronto, but it might as well be 10-2 Leafs with the way they have controlled the puck in the Buffalo zone. The puck possesion time must be a 75-25 split, or worse this period.
11:08 - MAPLE LEAFS GOAL. Mikhail Grabovski is able to tip a shot from the point, and it gets past Miller for another Maple Leafs two-goal lead. That is what puck possession can do for you. A good cycle around to the point, an BOOM. 3-1 TOR.
7:36 - SABRES GOAL. The captain scores on a beautiful pass to the front of the net, and Buffalo has hit its stride. Jason Pominville then skates right in front of a group of Maple Leafs fans sitting right up against the glass, and celebrates as the game is now tied at three (he was going to celebrate there no matter who was sitting there). 3-3 tie.
End of Period
BUF - 3, TOR - 3
Goal Summary
BUF: 11:39 - Marcus Foligno (4) (Kevin Porter, Christian Ehrhoff). 12:24 - Jason Pominville (10) (Cody Hodgson).
TOR: 8:52 - Mikhail Grabovski (7) (Jake Gardiner, Nazem Kadri).
Shots on Goal
BUF - 8 (19), TOR - 11 (16)
Third Period
19:38 - SABRES GOAL. Well, that did not take long as Christian Ehrhoff unleashes his heavy shot from the point and gives the blue and gold their first lead of the night. I love his shot from the point, it is one of the best, maybe only second to Alexander Ovechkin. 4-3 BUF.
13:27 - MAPLE LEAFS GOAL. Tyler Ennis is off for slashing, and the puck trickles through to tie the game at four. Looks like another goal for Nazem Kadri, but we will have to wait for the official word. 4-4 tie.
12:40 - Timeout Buffalo, as they just iced the puck and could use an extra rest. We will see if it pays off.
10:45 - WOW, maybe the save of the season by Miller to dive and use his paddle to keep a sure goal from going in the net. After his effort, the game stays tied 4-4.
7:06 - There is a very loud "Let's Go Buffalo" chant going. Maybe the loudest this building has heard all season to try and spur the home team on. This game has been highly, highly entertaining.
5:16 - The intensity is spilling over into the seating bowl, as a couple of fights have begun to brew among fans in sections 106 and 107. Thankfully, security has gotten in the way both times to keep things from getting ugly.
1:17 - A high sticking minor to Kulemin is the chance for the Sabres to put this game away.
End of Regulation
BUF - 4, TOR - 4
Goal Summary
BUF: 0:22 - Christian Ehrhoff (3) PPG (Cody Hodgson, Tyler Ennis).
TOR: 6:33 - Nazem Kadri (13) (Cody Franson, Phil Kessel)
Shots on Goal
BUF - 14 (35), TOR - 13 (29)
Overtime
0:00 - What action! I do not know if there was a single whistle in the extra five minute session. There were some good chances at both ends, but the goaltenders were up to the task. This may be the most enjoyable game all season long in this building.
End of Game
Buffalo 5, Toronto 4/Shootout
Final Thoughts
This team has showed in back-to-back games that they can handle some adversity. Something they had not been able to do very much this season. It may bee too little, too late for the blue and gold. I am not even willing to entertain thoughts of a playoff run yet. They are going to have to show this kind of effort for a few more weeks in a row for me to "buy in." However, this is how the team ropes you in. They have gotten into a hole each of the last two years, and have been able to get out of it once, one time they could not. Next up, a date with the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. The puck drops from Bell Centre just after seven o'clock, with pregame coverage starting at 6 p.m. on the flagship home of the Sabres Radio Network - WGR Sports Radio 550.