Enroth's First Career Shutout & More

Jhonas Enroth takes a drink while warming up to play the Rangers.
(Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)

Alongside shutdown goal-tending by backup goaltender Jhonas Enroth was a defensive unit playing a spectacular game Wednesday night in Buffalo, NY.  The Buffalo Sabres allowed only 23 shots on goal in the game and Enroth was there to stop them all.  It was Enroth's first career shutout and it couldn't have come at a better time.  With Ryan Miller held out of the lineup nursing an upper body injury, Enroth stepped in to fill the gap and played a great game in front of the sold out crowd at HSBC Arena.  Included in the crowd were his parents who came all the way from Sweden to see their son play in arguably one of the Sabres' most important games of the season.

The win put Buffalo in a tie with the New York Rangers for seventh place in the Eastern Conference.  But more importantly, the Sabres now hold the tie-breaker with the Rangers as the win gave them a 2-1-1 edge in the season series.  With two minutes remaining in the first, the Rangers put the puck in the back of the net, but the goal was waved off for a goaltender interference call.  In the closing minute of the first, Thomas Vanek had a great deke in the zone to beat his guy but Henrik Lundqvist stopped him.  When is Vanek going to catch a break and make the highlight reel with one of his fancy goal attempts he keeps coming up short on?  Tim Connolly scored the lone goal for the Sabres just over five minutes into the second period.  Connolly took the pass from Vanek and skated slowly into the zone before ripping a slap-shot from the top of the circle that found its way just under the crossbar.  Initially the goal looked like a perfectly placed snipe by Connolly, but after looking at the goal closer, you can see that the shot actually deflected off of Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi's stick.  Enroth took the show from there to keep the Rangers off the scoreboard.

Last night's game, the Sabres 11th consecutive home sell-out, was the highest rated game MSG has televised since December of 2007.  The Sabres are now 7-1-1 this season when left winger Matt Ellis is in the lineup.  The Sabres brought their streak of games without allowing a power play goal to eight.  The special teams units will need to keep up their strong play as the playoffs near.  The Sabres have played particularly well in games following a loss this season.  In games following their last eight losses, the Sabres are 8-0-0.  Following their last 17 losses, they are 15-2-0.  On the season, they are 25-11-2 following a loss.  I think it is safe to say that this team is evenly balanced and can rebound from a loss very well.  If it weren't for the month of October, those numbers would look much different and even better.

A crucial win over the New York Rangers and a Carolina Hurricanes victory over the Montreal Canadiens Wednesday have increased the Sabres' playoff odds 3.9 to 84.7%.  The Sabres will take a two day break before another set of back-to-back games this weekend, but this set will be on the road.  Friday night at 7:00pm EDT the Sabres will be at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. to face-off against the Washington Capitals.  Saturday, the team will travel roughly five hours south to take on the Carolina Hurricanes at the RBC Center in Raleigh, NC.  The Rangers play tonight so we'll be hoping for a New York Islanders win in that game.