In a highly anticipated rematch against the Ancaster Sharks, the Sabres skated like they were out for revenge, having been blanked 0-4 two weeks previously by a talented and versatile Sharks team.
Sizzling skating, crisp passing and booming shots were the catch of the day as the Sabres tied up the series 1-1 in what is shaping up to be the Novice Division's hottest rivalry.
Thomas got the scoring started early on a breakaway at 8:00 in the first period, with his linemates keeping pressure on the Sharks goalie throughout, including a thundering shot from Daniel that rang off the left post, just wide of the net. For his relentless pursuit of offensive glory, Daniel was awarded this week's Ancaster Sabres Hardhat. Good job, Daniel! With Daniel and Andrew's relentless forechecking, the Sabres were able to keep the puck in the Sharks' end and keep their goalie under fire. Zachary would go on to score a solo blast and then later hit Tobin with a cross-ice pass, who hammered it home, making the score 4-0 at the end of the 1st period.
The second period would see the Sabres lean heavily on an understrength defensive crew, who rallied around the solid backchecking of Harry, who was constantly making the Sharks reset above the blue line as he cleared the puck out of the Sabres zone. Pass Interception Specialist Nathan put on a defensive clinic at the blue line, breaking up countless rushes with his stick and with his pads, making numerous sliding blocks. Nathaniel gave it his all, driving deep into the Sharks zone, adding to our offensive firepower until felled by a stomach bug late in the period. Meanwhile, a tired but determined Sabres defense relied on Kyle's speed and savvy positioning to break up several solo and two-on-one breakaways by a hungry Sharks offense.
In the third period, the Sharks redoubled their efforts to generate some offense, skating with everything they had until the final buzzer. Our Sabres wingers showed what they can do, as Mark and Xavier pressed the attack, weaving in and out of defenders with the puck, eager to bury it in the back of the Sharks net. Not to be outdone, Cole made some drives of his own up the boards, constantly on the lookout for scoring opportunities. Jack "Of All Trades" Wilson played Ironman hockey, moving back to the blueline to help out an exhausted Sabres defense crew after having stymied the Sharks offense for two full periods with ferocious forechecking.
Michael donned the pads and patrolled between the pipes for the Sabres' first ever shutout! In a dominant performance, Michael used his goalie stick to conduct a symphony of rebound control, consistently guiding blocked shots off to the corners and robbing the Sharks of scoring chances on short rebounds in front of the net. With pads flashing out for kick saves left and right, he was the keystone of today's victory. Great job, Michael!
Even while the Sabres enjoy their victory, the Sharks are plotting their revenge, as they continue to hone their skills and teamwork ahead of the third and final regular-season meetup between these two teams on January 12, 2014.
SABRES - SHARKS III: JUDGMENT DAY!
To be continued...