As if Buffalo Sabres and Edmonton Oilers fans hadn't already suffered enough, their teams' losses on Sunday made bad seasons sting just a little bit harder.
NHL scores 2014: Bruins mount late comeback, Oilers collapse to Stars
Two of the league’s cellar-dwellers couldn’t seal the deal on Sunday.
Chris LaFrance-USA TODAY Sports
Both the Oilers and Sabres had their opponents on the ropes for most of the evening. Buffalo outplayed the Boston Bruins in their own barn for two periods despite missing lynchpin players like Tyler Myers, Matt Moulson and Brian Gionta. An early third-period goal set the Sabres up for a decidedly impressive win.
Out west in Edmonton, the Oilers had blown the doors off the Dallas Stars. Edmonton chased Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen from his net midway through the game en route to a huge 5-2 lead. Even the Oilers couldn't blow that advantage, right?
It was amazing how things unraveled virtually at the same time for both teams. Dougie Hamilton tied the game in Boston with less than two minutes left in the third period, forcing the Sabres to fight for an extra point. At the same time, Tyler Seguin was busy mounting an epic Stars comeback with two goals of his own. The Oilers and Sabres both blew their chances at earning two points and both eventually lost in overtime or a shootout.
It just goes to show that NHL’s bottom feeders have the hardest time getting out of their own way.
All the NHL Scores
Dallas Stars 6, Edmonton Oilers 5 (SO)
Boston Bruins 4, Buffalo Sabres 3 (OT)
Philadelphia Flyers 4, Winnipeg Jets 3 (OT)
Three things we learned
1. Colorado has a pretty good backup. The Avalanche have leaned pretty heavily on Calvin Pickard while Semyon Varlamov recovers from an injury, and the young netminder has established himself as a calming presence in net. With the win over Detroit on Sunday, Pickard sports a 2.06 GAA and .939 SV% in 13 games played. If Varlamov ever succumbs to the massive regression many of his doubters assumed would hit him this year, the Avs have a solid Plan B in Pickard.
2. The Oilers went full-on Oilers. The collapse on Sunday was incredible even by Edmonton's usually low standards. When they earned the three-goal lead in the second period they should've put the boot to Dallas' throat and locked the game down. Instead, Jamie Benn's power play goal gave the Stars momentum that the Oilers just couldn't keep down. Edmonton wasted a two-goal night from Taylor Hall, something that hasn't happened often this season.
3. The Flyers didn't do much to help their rookie goalie. Rob Zepp finally got his NHL debut after 13 years bouncing around the ECHL, AHL, Finnish and German leagues. He probably wishes it was for another team. The Flyers are atrocious defensively these days, and Zepp was under fire from the first puck drop. The three goals on 23 shots he faced through two periods weren't entirely his fault, but you just knew he was wondering what might've been if he had a better defense in front of him in his first game.
Impact Moment
Blackhawks assistant trainer Clint Reif passed away on Sunday morning. Among the numerous tributes from ex-Blackhawks around the league, the team honored him with a moment of silence before their game against the Maple Leafs.
Stat of the Night
Last time NHL player finished season 1st in goals AND points was 2008 (Ovechkin). Before that: Mario Lemieux in 1996. Seguin leads in both.
— DefendingBigD (@DefendingBigD) December 22, 2014
That tweet was sent minutes before Jakub Voracek regained the league lead in points, but it's still something to watch as the season progresses. Topping both lists is clearly a rare feat and there's a good chance Seguin accomplishes it.
Post to Post
- Kris Versteeg scored one of the best buzzer beater goals you'll ever see.
- Could Matt Bartkowski be suspended for his hit on Brian Gionta?
- Finally, we'd like to formally thank Anton Khudobin for one of the funniest moments of the season.
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