Thursday night’s game with the Buffalo Sabres was supposed to be a soft spot in the schedule. Coming off a big 5-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets, the Colorado Avalanche were expected to roll right over the Sabres, especially after having fully broken them with a 5-4 regulation win earlier in the season.
This game looked eerily similar to the last matchup, with the Sabres leading 3-0 halfway through the game. Unfortunately for them, the results were the same. There’s a lot to unpack from the Avalanche’s 6-5 overtime win, so let’s get right into the takeaways.
This Team Doesn’t Give Up
This game should have been over several times. To their credit, the Sabres didn’t just roll over after the Avalanche made it 3-2. They created a two-goal lead twice more, giving themselves what should have been enough breathing room to walk away with two points instead of one.
The Avalanche have fight in them and it has helped propel them up the standings. They are sixth in the NHL in comeback wins with 11, including a trio of third-period comebacks. Some of the best teams – the New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals, Vegas Golden Knights, Winnipeg Jets, Minnesota Wild, and Carolina Hurricanes – consistently find ways to come back.
It also doesn’t hurt that the last time these two met, the Avalanche overcame a 4-0 deficit to find a way to win. That is the difference between the good teams (the Avalanche) and the bad teams (the Sabres). One finds a way to overcome while the other finds a way to fall apart.
The Offense Is a Juggernaut
With the recent return of Jonathan Drouin, the Avalanche are formidable both on paper and on the ice. The team can make smaller moves now rather than having to focus on the major holes that permeated the lineup to begin the season. In a matter of a few moments, the offense ignites and finds a way to get those much-needed goals.
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Makar took the reins in this one, starting the scoring with a dazzling move to make it 3-1 near the end of the second period. He cut the deficit to one again with his second of the night, just one of his many fantastic subtle moves at the point that creates space for himself and makes defensive players fumble.
The one thing that helps separate the Avalanche from other top-heavy teams is their depth. Ross Colton added his 12th of the season and the game was finished by Devon Toews of all people. The fact that a critical goal can come from anywhere at any time is what makes this Avalanche team so dangerous.
The Sabres Were Better in Almost Every Facet
It should be extra tough being a Sabres fan after a game like that because the Sabres were the best team on the ice for 57 minutes. They won the faceoff matchup (55.2% to 44.8%), outperformed the vaunted Avalanche power play, and were simply more physical until it mattered most.
The Avalanche won the hit battle 31-27, but it felt like they were being physically dealt with until late in the game. It is the kind of thing that we don’t normally see from a team like the Sabres, so it could have simply taken the Avalanche by surprise.
Every team has off nights. The difference between teams like the Avalanche and Sabres is that the former finds a way to overcome those off nights and grabs the two points. That was the difference on this night.
Six Wins in a Row
The Avalanche continue to be the hottest team in the NHL. That makes six wins in a row for them, the longest active winning streak in the NHL. They are now just four points behind the Wild for second in the Central Division and are just eight back of the Jets with a game in hand.
Two of the next three are manageable on paper, a home game against the Montreal Canadiens and a road game against the Chicago Blackhawks. From there, they play the Jets and Wild twice, plus the Dallas Stars, within a seven-game stretch. That could be the deciding factor in how the division race progresses this season.
