Sabres fall to Coyotes in finale of road trip

TEMPE, Ariz. – Tage Thompson spoke about the balance between recognizing the process that led to chances generated by the Buffalo Sabres inside Mullett Arena on Saturday and reconciling it with the result, a 2-0 loss to the Arizona Coyotes.

The Sabres outshot the Coyotes, 28-22, while playing with the same aggressive identity that carried them to a victory in Las Vegas less than 24 hours earlier. They were unable to solve goaltender Karel Vejmelka, who earned the Coyotes’ second shutout win in as many nights.

“We just couldn’t find the back of the net,” Thompson said. “Had our chances. We outplayed them, so I think in a way you’ve got to be happy with that, but that just doesn’t really feel right. It just sucks losing, especially when you outplay someone.”

The Coyotes played strong out of the gate, earning seven of their 22 shots during the first nine minutes. The Sabres weathered that storm and began applying pressure during the back half of the first period, including a chance from the slot for Casey Mittelstadt that was stopped by Vejmelka and a shot from Thompson that hit the far-side post.

Thompson led the Sabres with seven shot attempts, followed by six each for Zach Benson and JJ Peterka.

“I thought we were aggressive, took time and space away from them, made them make turnovers and had odd-man rushes and extended O-zone (time),” Thompson said. “I thought we were really good at holding onto pucks in the O-zone, getting to the net. You’ve got to tip your cap, their goalie played well.

“We just couldn’t find the back of the net. That’s on me, I’ve got to bear down. I had a lot of good looks tonight. Benny and Tuchy set me up a lot tonight. Got to find a way to score.”

Arizona finally opened the scoring with 4:48 remaining in the second period, when Alex Kerfoot stole the puck from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen as the goaltender played it behind the net and found Clayton Keller in front. Logan O’Brien doubled the Coyotes’ lead on a breakaway with 10:24 left in the third.

“It seems a little bit like the story of how it’s been with a lot of chances, and I think chances that normally we put away, myself included,” Mittelstadt said. “That probably a big one for us and it stings a bit right now. At the same time, all we can do is move forward as a team.”

The Sabres entered Saturday looking to build on their win over the Golden Knights, owners of the NHL’s best record. 

“Yeah, the process was much better, and it has (been),” coach Don Granato said. “There’s a much better feel. I think guys are feeling better about their game. Now it’s putting it together, putting it all together. … I think the compete was good, the finish was not. The compete generated chances, and that has to be our focus.”

Here’s more from Saturday’s game.

1. The Sabres dressed 11 forwards and seven defensemen for the second game of the back-to-back set, with defenseman Erik Johnson re-entering the lineup in place of forward Brett Murray.

2. Rasmus Dahlin skated a game-high 25:35, tallying four shots, five hits, and three blocks.

Up next

The Sabres return home to host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday. It will be the first of four uniquely themed “WinterFest” games at KeyBank Center during the month of December.

The theme for Tuesday is “Woo-Ville,” featuring an outdoor holiday market, a photo opportunity with the sleigh from the 2000 film “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (weather permitting), and more.

Find more information on WinterFest **here**.

Pregame coverage on MSG/MSG+ begins at 6:30 p.m. with puck drop scheduled for 7. Radio coverage can be found on WGR 550.