Recap: Ducks Fall to Sabres on Kariya Jersey Retirement Night

ANAHEIM - As the Ducks retired Paul Kariya's jersey in an emotional pregame ceremony tonight at Honda Center, it was noted by many that Kariya made his mark as a franchise legend from a very early age. So it was fitting that once the hockey started, two of Anaheim's youngest players were among the standouts tonight.

Twenty-year-old center Sam Steel scored the first goal of his NHL life and 23-year-old winger Kiefer Sherwood (who like Kariya is half-Japanese) potted the second of his career, but they were all for naught in a 4-2 defeat to the visiting Buffalo Sabres.
Buffalo wiped out an early two-goal Ducks advantage and took its first lead four minutes into the third on a Rasmus Ristolainen slap shot on the power play, one of four on the night for the Sabres.
"We took three penalties in a row, and that changed the momentum of the game," said Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf, who played his second straight game after returning from injury (both losses). "They got going a little bit on the power play and got after us. That's probably the turning point."
Despite the early lead, the Ducks struggled for much of the evening and kept it close on the back of goalie Ryan Miller, who had 41 saves against his former team. Miller went to the bench with little more than a minute left, and the Ducks had a few chances to tie it, but they were denied by Buffalo goalie Carter Hutton. A scramble in the Buffalo crease nearly produced the tying goal, but the dagger came when the Sabres' Patrik Berglund filled the empty Anaheim net with 16.1 seconds left.
The pregame festivities featured a retrospective of Kariya's prolific career, as well as speeches from Ducks owner Henry Samueli, former teammates Teemu Selanne and Steve Rucchin, former Ducks captain Scott Niedermayer, longtime Ducks Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations David McNab and Kariya himself.
"Over the years, many of the games, the wins and loses have faded from my mind," Kariya said. "Thank you for making tonight the most memorable night of my life."
That speech was followed by Kariya's banner being raised to the rafters alongside Selanne's number 8, while Kariya and partner Valerie Dawson watched front and center.

Following the ceremony, each of the Ducks wore the team's new adidas third jerseys adorned with KARIYA and 9 on the back for warmups, adding a touch of flair to the night just before the hockey got underway.
The Ducks waited nearly 16 minutes to do what Kariya did best - find the net - but they took a 1-0 lead when Steel got his stick blade on a Brandon Montour point shot to give Steel his first NHL goal.

Anaheim survived a flurry of Buffalo chances in the second period and instead made it a 2-0 game with 6 1/2 left when Sherwood got his second of the season on a snipe from the right wing on the rush.

But the Ducks were playing with fire throughout the first and into the second, and Buffalo ultimately sliced the lead in half near the end of a power play when Kyle Okposo one-timed a Sam Reinhart feed.
"The discipline issue crept in tonight," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "We took three penalties in a row and allowed them the momentum. Any time you do that in a hockey game, and the other team senses an opportunity, they seize the opportunity."
The Sabres tied it just 1:28 later when Jeff Skinner got behind the defense on the rush and deposited a backhand.Anaheim's efforts to tie it were challenged by difficulty possessing the puck and generating much in the Buffalo end.
"We were in the penalty box too much," Miller said. "It's puck possession. We didn't have enough of it in good places. It makes for a long game. We have to get smart. I thought tonight we weren't as smart on the puck and in a few areas."
It was a second loss in as many nights for the Ducks (5-3-1), who allowed 45 shots as well yesterday evening in a 3-1 defeat to the Golden Knights in Las Vegas.
"You're trying to get to know each other," Getzlaf said. "We have so many guys in and out of the lineup right now, it's hard to get that chemistry. It doesn't excuse the lack of compete we had tonight."