Grier's late goal proves to be the winner for Sabres
Veteran's late tally ruins Rinne's shutout
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Buffalo Sabres brought back Mike Grier to be a calming, veteran presence. They needed a strong leader with a solid work ethic and a commanding voice in the dressing room.
It helps that he still has the talent to score game-winning goals.
With just 3:25 to play Saturday night, Grier completed what was looking like an impossible task. He got a puck past Nashville goaltender Pekke Rinne. Grier teamed with unbeatable Ryan Miller to send the Sabres home with a 1-0 victory over the Predators in Sommet Center.
The Sabres fired 42 shots at Rinne, but the game was scoreless until Grier finally found the net. Tim Kennedy passed to Grier from behind the goal line, and the winger's point-blank shot was blocked. He corralled the deflection and slid a no-look backhand just past Rinne.
"It was a nice win for us," Grier said. "It's nice to contribute. We can't rely on our top lines and our power play to win us games. We're going to need goals from our third and fourth lines and our D. We've got to have everyone chipping in. It's nice to do early in the season, where goals haven't been easy for us. It's nice to contribute here."
It was fitting that Grier and Kennedy combined on the winning goal. Their line, completed by Jochen Hecht, took 15 of the Sabres' shots.
"It was deserving of them to end up scoring the goal to win the game," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "The first effort was great by Griersy, but for him to battle and get a second effort was a lesson for every kid around the front of the net."
Though Miller wasn't as busy as Rinne, the Sabres' netminder came through when needed. The Predators' Marcel Goc got past the Sabres' defense for a short-handed breakway with 5:18 to go, but Miller shrugged his right arm to send Goc's shot over the cage.
"I'm happy to be there when I was needed," said Miller, who made 25 stops for his 13th career shutout. "We were pressing so hard, and things are going to happen sometimes. I'm happy I got a piece of that to knock it over the net."
All the Sabres were happy just to finally score. Although it's just three games into the season, the Sabres' lack of scoring has become a disturbing trend. They entered Saturday's games last in the NHL with an average of 1.5 goals per game.
It's not as if they aren't getting opportunities. The Sabres are among the league leaders in shots per game, firing 35 pucks at Montreal in the opener, 37 against Phoenix and 42 versus the Predators. They are resulting in goals, however.
"It's a little frustrating, but it'd be more frustrating if we were only getting 20 shots a night rather than 42," said Kennedy, who earned his first NHL point with the assist. "I think we could have had three, four or five [goals]."
Miller believes those days are coming soon.
"It really has to with the talent we have," he said. "We're going to control the puck most of the night. I think as the dam starts to break for us a little bit on goal scoring, I think it's going to be good."
The Sabres nearly reached the 30-shot mark after only two periods Saturday. They took 12 shots in the first and 17 in the second. Rinne, though, continued to be impenetrable and received several standing ovations from the 14,209 in attendance.
The 26-year-old Finn posted a 2-0 shutout in Buffalo last season, one of his franchise-record seven blankings. He had to be sharp right from the drop of the puck Saturday.
"You have to give credit to those guys," Rinne said. "Buffalo played really well, and they forced the puck around and came hard. They were just the better team."
The Sabres didn't escape Music City without a sour note. Defenseman Andrej Sekera left the game with five minutes left in the second period.
"I just started skating and there was straight pain down my whole left side," he said. "Something in the muscles, probably."
Added Ruff: "The early diagnosis isn't good. I'll have an update Monday, but it looks like he's going to miss some time."
The Sabres are off until Tuesday, when they host the Detroit Red Wings in HSBC Arena. It's a potent test for a club that moved to 2-0-1.
"If you're going to win games, you've got to deserve to win them," Ruff said. "I thought we deserved to win."
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