This was a game that in past seasons the Wings would have found a way to send themselves and the fans home frustrated, a fourth quarter collapse that would lead to a gut wrenching loss. Maybe now that is on its way to becoming a thing of the past. After John Tavares gave Buffalo a 14-13 lead with 2:55 left in regulation this game could've gone the wrong way, as it has so often the last few season for the Wings. But a Jamie Rooney goal 62 seconds later would force overtime and after Geoff Snider's 21st faceoff win of the evening, a rejuvenated Jake Bergey would score his fourth goal of the night and send the Wings faithful home to celebrate the team's first 3-0 start since 1997 with a 15-14 victory over the Bandits in front of a loud 10,542 fans at the Wachovia Center Saturday evening.
It did not take the Wings long to get on the board when Snider won the opening faceoff and put a shot past Bandits keeper Mike Thompson just five seconds into the game. The Wings would score two of the next three goals before a three goal Bandits run would put the Wings behind in a game for the first time this season. Buffalo led 5-4 after the first before the Wings played a solid second quarter outscoring the Bandits 5-0 and getting 13 saves from Rob Blasdell.
The third was, like the first, 5-4 in favor of Buffalo but the Wings would give the Bandits a gift goal here when Blasdell came out of his net to try and clear a ground ball. Instead he whiffed on the play giving Clay Hill a wide open net to deposit his first goal of the season. Cory Bomberry's goal late in the third would start a five goal run for Buffalo that looked to be a winning one until Rooney's late heroics set the stage for Bergey's game winner.
Athan Iannucci led the Wings with a seven point night (four goals, three assists) while Bergey's four goals and OT winner earned him game MVP honors. Mark Steenhuis and Kevin Dostie each scored four times for Buffalo while John Tavares (two goals) and Cory Bomberry (one goal) each added five assists to their totals. Blasdell (48 saves) and Thompson (37 saves) were kept busy in their respective nets.
The Wings will now have almost three weeks off before their next game, which will be their first road trip of the 2008 season. And easy it will not be as they head to Denver to square off with the Mammoth on February 15th.
