The National Hockey League just had one of the most historic games of the century this past Sunday. The Buffalo Sabres took on the Tampa Bay Lightning in a high-scoring and physical shootout. The Sabres ultimately came out on top. This game, though, has been one of the most entertaining in decades, with a final score of 8–7, with three of Buffalo’s eight goals coming in the last nine minutes of the game.
On top of the high-scoring performance, both teams combined for over 100 penalty minutes, with multiple fights breaking out throughout the game, as well as penalties for slashing, roughing, and unsportsmanlike conduct. In total, five fights took place during the game. At nearly every whistle, the players fell into scrums with one another as the intensity of the contest heated up.
Multiple fans took to the comments of the Sabres’ Instagram page and described the game as “absolute cinema.” Some other fans even referred to it as “the game of the decade.” Buffalo’s skill has been further illustrated by their now eight-game win streak following a victory this past Tuesday. Their skill has been exemplified by key player and American Olympian Tage Thompson on the roster. Although he is one of Buffalo’s best scorers, he did not score any goals in this game but instead recorded four assists. Buffalo followed this game with another dominant victory, 6–3, over the San Jose Sharks.
As it stands currently, the Sabres are two points in front of the Tampa Bay Lightning because of their wins over the Sharks and Lightning and now have control of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. All of this is great news for Buffalo hockey, as the Sabres have not seen the playoffs in an NHL-record 14 years. As of this year, though, they are on course to make the playoffs and be a serious contender for the Stanley Cup. If Buffalo wins the Stanley Cup, it would be the first in the city’s history, marking a major victory following several years of playoff disappointment on both the ice and the gridiron. A Cup victory would also signify Buffalo’s first professional championship in any sport in decades.
