Okposo scores lone goal for Sabres in loss to Blues

Kyle Okposo scored the lone goal for the Buffalo Sabres in a 3-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues at KeyBank Center on Saturday.

The Sabres outshot the Blues, 34-26. They previously outshot the Dallas Stars 48-30 in a 2-1 loss on Tuesday, though coach Don Granato saw a difference in the two performances despite their similar outcomes.

“This game is different than the other night certainly in many respects and all of them from the foundation of just working and not working hard enough tonight and not working toward the front of the net enough tonight,” Granato said.

“… We were to the net the other night. We didn’t score, we didn’t put it in. We didn’t have a problem getting to the net the other night or in LA or San Jose, the three prior games. Tonight, we didn’t go to the net. I don’t think we were willing to work. We didn’t work hard enough to the front of the net. Weren’t direct enough.”

Okposo’s goal, which tied the score at 1-1 during the opening minute of the second period, was a product of a drive to the net. The sequence began with Tage Thompson carrying the puck below the goal line and flipping a pass to Okposo at the edge of the crease. The Sabres captain dropped to one knee and, while he didn’t connect fully on his one-time attempt, the puck went in off a Blues defender.

“That’s where I’m gonna go,” Okposo said. “I’m playing with Tommer and [Jeff Skinner], just simple, to the net. I know that Tommer was using his body to get to the net today and I reaped some rewards from that, but it’s just getting the puck there. We just didn’t do it enough tonight.”

St. Louis responded less than four minutes later when Jordan Kyrou capitalized on a carom off the end boards. The 2-1 lead held until Jake Neighbours scored his second goal of the game on an odd-man rush with 1:57 remaining in the third period.

The Sabres went 0-for-3 on the power play while tallying a combined six shots.

“I’ve always thought, especially kind of on the power play, when you’re struggling, volume shoot, volume shoot and then you feel good about your game and the other team doesn’t feel good about their game, then you build on that,” Okposo said. “That’s definitely a piece of it.”

The Sabres have two games remaining on their four-game homestand, which continues Tuesday against Los Angeles.

“We have to find another gear,” Okposo said. “It seems like we’re stuck in third gear. Yeah, we’re playing well. We’re playing better. But we have more. I know we have more. I know this group has more. I know we’re a better team than that. We’re just missing a little bit of jam.”

Here’s more from the loss.

1. Luukkonen started for the ninth time in the Sabres’ last 10 games. His 23-save night included a highlight-reel pad stop on Brandon Saad to keep the score 2-1 early in the third period. Watch it below.

2. The Sabres were nearly awarded four minutes of power-play time after Jordan Greenway was hit in the face by Blues defenseman Colton Parayko’s stick during the third period. Parayko was assessed a double-minor for high-sticking, but the penalty was overturned following a video review.

Officials ruled that, because Greenway was hunched over at the time he was hit, the play did not constitute as a high stick.

Up next

The homestand continues Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings. Tickets are available 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.