00:00Well, Paul, it was a game the Sabres, I thought, looked dangerous all night.
00:05It was a great performance from both goaltenders.
00:08I thought the Sabres defensively really settled in after the first period.
00:13The first was like back and forth, a lot of turnovers.
00:16It was the most shots in a period without a goal, ESPN said during that broadcast in the NHL this
00:21season.
00:22But from there on, Ellis had to make some big saves, but it seemed like overall the team was on
00:28last night
00:29and they could have even won by more.
00:31Yeah, really, it was their goaltender stood on his head basically in the first period.
00:39Askarov made some great saves as the Sabres did have 16 shots.
00:43And the thing that I really liked about it, it was, you know, guys, it was pretty much what we
00:52saw for most of last year after December.
00:55I mean, it was, even in the third period, I mean, it was 1-0.
01:01They only could get the one goal, but you never felt like they were in trouble or it's like, uh
01:10-oh.
01:10And there were a couple of times where it looked like they might have opened nets, but all of a
01:15sudden Ellis got over and made a save.
01:18Or a defenseman would make a play, Zellweger, you know, the puck looks like it's headed in, dives over and
01:26knocks it away.
01:27You know, Ellis wasn't going to get that one, and I don't know if it would have made the goal
01:32line or not,
01:33but he made sure that, you know, to knock that puck out of there.
01:36And the thing that I liked, and I talked to Lindy Ruffett at practice the day before about block shots.
01:44You know, where has it been?
01:46And I understand their best shot blocker is Timmons, who hasn't played all year.
01:51And their best forward at blocking shots at Tuck isn't going to be playing this year.
01:59And, you know, they seem like they really missed that.
02:01And that was the one thing I really wrote in big letters in my notes is they're really taking away
02:06shooting lanes
02:07and they're taking away passing lanes.
02:09And you could tell the Sharks were getting frustrated with that.
02:13And they just did a great job at blocking shots.
02:17I think there were somewhere around 20.
02:22And, you know, some big block shots, Norris and Malenstein, right?
02:28You know, they took a – Benson took a bad holding penalty in 1933 of the second period.
02:34And right before the buzzer, Norris and – Norris blocks a shot and then Malenstein blocks a shot.
02:43And we hadn't been seeing that.
02:44And I think that's one of the reasons why their penalty kill was so bad.
02:48Yeah.
