Red Wings sheathe Sabres 3-1

 Goaltender Jimmy Howard #35 of the Detroit Red Wings makes a save as teammate Mike Green #25 and Jordan Nolan #17 of the Buffalo Sabres look for the rebound during an NHL game at Little Caesars Arena on November 17, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Red Wings used all their positive work to get another win at Little Caesars Arena Friday night. Tomas Tatar got the game winning goal before another went in to complete the 3-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Detroit goaltender Jimmy Howard had yet another great night in net stopping 19 for a second straight win.

Detroit’s massive win two nights ago saw them having fun on the ice taking a physical strength to the Calgary Flames but also light the lamp eight times. Despite not having Luke Witkowski in the lineup due to a ten-game suspension, the Red Wings decided to go with 11 forwards and seven defenseman which is not often seen when starting a team two men short. They would face a Sabres team riddled with injuries and stand on a three-game losing streak. They won at home against Detroit and hoped they could increase the series lead so far between the two Atlantic Division teams.

Buffalo got shots early on Howard but battled the Red Wings who were finding ways of rushing at goaltender Robin Lehner. Dylan Larkin and Gustav Nyquist who went for solo runs only to miss by very little. The actions from the Red Wings woke up the rest of the lines to search for a way to gain the lead. Lehner made key stops against Detroit for the duration of the game that brought a conclusion to the first period stopping seven shots. Howard avoided six from the Sabres who were running a strategy to slow the pace of the game against the Red Wings.

It was picked up nearly three minutes into the second period where Jordan Nolan nailed Nick Jensen into the boards which his Detroit teammates didn’t agree with. They had a scuffle before going on their second power play which resulted in a short 5 on 3 for 27 seconds. Detroit couldn’t convert didn’t score during their extended man advantage but got another one due to a third straight Buffalo penalty. While they didn’t get the game leading goal, their shots at Lehner increased significantly showing plenty of speed on the ice that had the Sabres struggling to keep up with the offensive rushes.

After 29 shots and a lot of time coming off the clock, the teams were looking at going scoreless through yet another period. Before that could become true, the Red Wings went for a key play in front of the Buffalo net where they slapped the puck creating scoring chances in front of Lehner. After three attempts, it was Luke Glendening who got credit for the goal with a backhand where the puck got stuck in the net earning his fifth of the season and a 1-0 score. The Sabres ended the period with a power play but Detroit killed part of the time off with their mission to kill the rest going into the third.

They did just that to kill another penalty and get back to the matter of holding off the Sabres having attained the lead. They got a power play four minutes in but saw a chance nearly blown with a breakaway that they saved at the last moment. The Sabres killed Detroit’s fifth power play which gave them confidence to make something happen. They moved around the puck setting up Victor Antipin to fire a shot at Howard that rebounded and got loose. Ryan O’Reilly got to it shooting into an empty net gaining his seventh of the season. Detroit tried to challenge the call due to goaltender interference but officials held it calling it a good for Buffalo.

With the game leveled with 13 minutes on the clock, the Sabres showed good movements to dictate further on while they had the chance. Detroit put a stop of it, turning the game around to change the pace of the game to their advantage. After nearly ten minutes of play in the third period, Detroit made things happen with Tatar hanging on to the puck where he took his time aiming the shot to fire the puck at Lehner where it got stopped before eventually ending in the net for his fifth.

There was still a lot of time on the clock but the Red Wings seemed to be handling themselves and the Sabres for a good part of what regulation was left. They didn’t let up on the offense as getting a third against Buffalo would more than secure their victory at home. Hard work from the Red Wings kept the play going in the Sabres zone as a lot of pressure in front of Lehner ended with Dylan Larkin scoring his fourth with Xavier Oulett gaining the main assist.

Detroit played the rest of the game staying highly positive while killing any chances for a comeback from the Sabres, taking care of the last few minutes of the game. “With the belief in this room and the leadership we have makes us believe that we could do it this year,” Glendening said to Fox Sports Detroit reporter Darren Elliot.

Howard got his eighth win and second straight while playing at home finishing the night with a .950 save percentage with him more than likely to get another start between the pipes. All will be decided in another game where they host the Colorado Avalanche Sunday afternoon.