Buffalo Sabres Favorite Moments: Rasmus Ristolainen Hat Trick
In preparation for what should be an exciting upcoming NHL season, here at Sabre Noise we’re re-living some of our favorite moments from the Buffalo Sabres’ 2015-16 season, starting with Rasmus Ristolainen’s 3rd period hat trick against the Calgary Flames.
The 2015-16 season saw Rasmus Ristolainen distinguish himself as a number one defenseman. He was fourth overall on the team in points, lead all Sabres defenseman in goals and assists, and there were countless nights where his presence was felt both physically and on the score-sheet as well.
Ristolainen was recently pegged at #30 on NHL Network’s countdown of breakout players for the 2015-16 season (a list that Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart both cracked as well), and, as noted in a prior Sabre Noise post, he was recently ranked by Sports Illustrated as the 19th best defenseman in the league.
There were many great moments for Ristolainen last year – his one-on-one battle with Milan Lucic, his nearly stationary open-ice hit that dropped Alex Ovechkin flat on his back, his game-winning goal with 16.8 seconds left to steal a victory from the Vancouver Canucks (which was also his second goal of the game) – but my favorite moment from Risto came in December, when he scored his NHL first hat trick in a single period against the Calgary Flames.
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The Sabres were down 2-0 heading into the third, when Ristolainen practically took the game on his back and netted 3 goals in less than twelve minutes to eventually tie up the game. Not only was he the first Sabres defenseman to score a hat trick since Phil Housley did it back in 1988, but he was also the first Sabres defenseman ever to score three goals in a single period. Here is the video clip:
I also like this moment because it shows the versatility of Ristolainen, with each goal being scored in a different way – with a slap-shot, a wrist shot and one down low. It’s an example of the offensive skill that will only get better in the coming years, and Ristolainen’s ability to bring the puck down low and create scoring chances is sometimes better than many forwards. After the 2015-16 season, I think Ristolainen is finally getting the recognition he deserves.
Look for more Buffalo Sabres favorite moments as we move closer to the start of the next NHL season, and feel free to share with us your favorite moments.
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