Sharpen Up: October 15, 2021 | 'More to come' after opening night victory

That was fun.
The Buffalo Sabres got out to a fast start with an energetic, hard-fought 5-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens last night to open the 2021-22 season.
Kyle Okposo, Zemgus Girgensons (who returned to the lineup after missing all of 2020-21 with a hamstring injury), Victor Olofsson, Anders Bjork and Tage Thompson all scored for the Sabres and Craig Anderson made 30 saves in his Buffalo debut.
The win matched Buffalo's largest margin of victory in a season-opening game in franchise history. The Sabres previously notched four-goal wins in three other season openers, most recently on October 10, 2002 against the Islanders.
Five Sabres had two points on opening night: Girgensons, Olofsson, Jacob Bryson, Vinnie Hinostroza and Colin Miller.
Buffalo dominated play in stretches and will look to keep things going tomorrow when they host the Arizona Coyotes.
Faceoff on Saturday is at 1 p.m. Pregame coverage on MSG will begin at 12:30. And if you want to experience what everyone's talking about in person, you can purchase tickets to the game here.
Buffalo will return to practice today. Full coverage will be right here on Sabres.com.
Here's what you need to know.

Last night's game recap

From Jourdon LaBarber's postgame report:
Kyle Okposo drifted toward the boards after scoring the Buffalo Sabres' first goal of the season on Thursday. The smiling fans on the other side of the glass were a welcome sight after a season spent playing in front of tarps and cardboard cutouts.
The moment sparked a memorable night inside KeyBank Center. The Sabres lived up to the aggressive, hardworking mindset coach Don Granato has preached since the start of training camp and stormed to a 5-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.

The fans noticed. Blocked shots and net-front skirmishes earned standing ovations. Fans cycled through a greatest hits of chants during the third period, from singing "Sweet Caroline" to chanting the chorus from "Seven Nation Army" to pleading for a sixth goal from the Sabres.
"We were just talking about it in the locker room, how fun it was to play in front of the fans," Okposo said afterward. "So, more to come."
Okposo credited the performance as a byproduct of Granato's high-energy training camp.
"I think the way that we're practicing, really up-tempo and just going," he said. "I mean, every day just trying to go as hard as I can and then the games are feeling easier."
Read the full recap here.
Speaking of music, we heard a different goal song after every Sabres goal. That's because the players have picked their own individual goal songs for this season. Who has the best one? Why is it Anders Bjork? And what is Rasmus Dahlin going to choose?

In other game-related news, Casey Mittelstadt left the game with an upper-body injury during the second period and did not return. Granato did not have an update on his status afterward. We'll keep you posted during today's practice. Full coverage can be found here on Sabres.com.

RJ's final season opener

Rick Jeanneret called his last first game Thursday. The Hall of Fame broadcaster will retire at the end of the season.
Before the game, he was featured in the club's in-arena opening video and then introduced the team before faceoff.

RJ also proved he can do his job from anywhere, as Zemgus Girgensons found out in this new commercial:

Party in the Plaza tomorrow

The first afternoon game of the season comes with a special ticket offer for families. With the purchase of one regular-priced adult ticket, fans can purchase up to four kids tickets for just $15 each.
The first 5,000 kids in attendance will receive Halloween trick-or-treat totes. All fans will receive a commemorative magnet schedule.
Harvest Fest will begin at 11 a.m. in Alumni Plaza with music from The Frankfurters, food and beverage, craft beer from Southern Tier, and fall-themed activities including:
• Create Your Own GIF Station
• Fan activations and giveaways from Sabres partners
• Petting Zoo
• Pumpkin Carving Demonstration
• 'Pumpkin Alley' games for kids and more!
Also, if you're heading to the game, check out what's new at the arena, including the players' goal song playlist, the entertainment stage in Section 120 and mobile ticketing through Ticketmaster.

Looking for a hockey fix tonight?

Owen Power and No. 3 Michigan face fifth-ranked Minnesota Duluth tonight at the Ice Breaker Tournament. Faceoff is at 8:30 p.m. on NCHC.tv.
The last time Michigan and Minnesota Duluth met was in the 2011 NCAA National Championship. They'll play either No. 10 Providence or No. 1 Minnesota State on Saturday.