Short stretch costs Sabres again in loss to Oilers

For the second time in three nights, the difference between winning and losing for the Sabres came down to a matter of minutes.
Buffalo had controlled its contest with the Edmonton Oilers as the second period approached its end on Monday, leading 3-1 with less than five minutes left to play before a string of lapses added up.
The Oilers scored three goals in the final 3:31 of the period to take a 4-3 lead that would hold until the final horn, despite a third-period push from the Sabres. Phil Housley was stern in his assessment while addressing the media afterward.

"I'm just going to say it again: You cannot play 55 minutes in this league," Housley said. "Those are two points that should have been in our pocket. We have to check for a full 60. We do that tonight, we win. It's simple as that. It's about picking up your people. Doing your job defensively."

Jack Eichel scored his 24th and 25th goals of the season, matching his career high. Casey Mittelstadt also scored during a three-goal first period for the Sabres, which opened with a shorthanded goal for Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl scored 1:28 into the contest.
Linus Ullmark allowed four goals on 20 shots in two periods before giving way to Carter Hutton, who made seven saves in relief.
Much like when the Toronto Maple Leafs scored two goals in the last five minutes of the second period to break a tie game on Saturday, the Sabres saw a short stretch spoil an otherwise strong effort. Zack Kassian set off the comeback, burying the Oilers' second goal on a one-time feed from Connor McDavid.
Leon Draisaitl worked his way along the wall and fed a wide-open Darnell Nurse for another one-time goal from the left circle, tying the game with 1:14 remaining in the period. Kyle Brodziak scored the winning goal by redirecting a shot from the point with just 4.8 seconds on the clock.
Jason Pominville owned up to leaving Nurse unmanned on the tying goal, when he turned his attention to a battle along the boards while the Oilers defenseman snuck in low behind him.

"That was my bad," Pominville said. "Their D had movement, they made a play on the wall, I think it was Draisaitl on his backhand. I thought there was a battle and I could come in. He kind of got lost. That's definitely a play I'd like to have back."
Pominville had a chance to tie the game during a resilient third period from the Sabres in which they outshot the Oilers, 12-7. Brandon Montour drove down low and delivered a pass to Pominville at the back door, the sort of opportunity the veteran has buried countless times in his career.
He began to bury it this time, too, but hit the puck again on his backswing and knocked it away from the net.
"I can probably take a hundred shots from that area and it might never happen, but it happened tonight," Pominville said. "It was clearly going in and just kind of double-touched it on my way back. It's a tough feeling when you see it going in and then all of a sudden coming out."
It was that sort of period for the Sabres. Jeff Skinner saw a similar chance at an open net bounce off the post and elude his reach, while Eichel had a shot deflected high and out of play.

"I thought we showed some good compete and resiliency in the third period," the Sabres captain said. "But, at the end of the day, like I've said this year, it's not enough for us. When the other team gets two points and you get none it's tough to hang your hat on a good effort or competing.
"It's really just a league about results and winning. That's what the most important thing is in my mind. Every night you go out there, it should be two points on the line and as desperate as you can be."

Injury report

Zach Bogosian missed the game with a lower-body injury and is day-to-day. Casey Nelson made his first appearance since Dec. 4 in Bogosian's absence, tallying two shots and five attempts in 15:33.

Up next

The Sabres open a two-game road trip in Colorado on Thursday. Coverage on MSG-B begins at 8 p.m. with the GMC Game Night pregame show, or you can listen live on WGR 550. The puck drops at 8:30.