The Sabres carried a 1-0 lead into the second intermission on the strength of a shorthanded goal from Alex Tuch. Kopitar tied the game on the opening shift of the third period, finding space in the slot for a one-timer after Alex Laferriere forced a turnover down low.
The Kings went on their fourth power play of the night with 3:40 left to play following a roughing call against Jason Zucker. The Sabres – who had smothered the Kings on three previous power plays – came within 28 seconds of killing the penalty before Mattias Samuelsson was called for slashing the stick of Alex Turcotte in the corner of the defensive zone.
Buffalo technically killed the brief 5-on-3 advantage, but Kopitar scored the game-winning goal within seconds of the Zucker penalty expiring. Kopitar added an empty-net goal to complete the hat trick.
Ruff was asked afterward about the roughing penalty against Zucker, who was also assessed a 10-minute misconduct for arguing the call.
“I don’t like that one,” Ruff said. “(But) the Samuelsson (penalty) is like hockey suicide, to take a penalty like that, because our penalty killers had done an unbelievable job. That is just lack of composure for a group that played so well. The killing had been so good to that point. We have to learn from that one. We’ve got to sense that, ‘Man, these guys are doing an unbelievable job.’ That’s not on the officials. That’s a good call.”
The Sabres had earned their own 5-on-3 power play early in the game but were unable to beat Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who finished the night with 10 high-danger saves and 32 stops total. Buffalo continued to generate consistent chances from that point on but was stifled either by Kuemper, the posts, or – in one instance – the clock.
Ryan McLeod was robbed twice by Kuemper during a 16-second span in the first period. With the Sabres shorthanded, McLeod attempted a wrap-around shot on a seemingly open net, only for Kuemper to make a lunging paddle save that was reminiscent of the stop Jacob Markstrom made to rob Nicolas Aube-Kubel in the season opener against New Jersey last Friday. McLeod then drew a hook and was awarded a penalty shot but had his backhand attempt turned away by Kuemper.
The Sabres finally seemed to break through when Zach Benson put the puck over the goal line as the horn sounded to end the first period. The play was called a goal on the ice but was overturned after video review showed the puck crossed after the clock had hit zero.
“We’re not going to win scoring one goal a game, but we played probably as close to our identity that we want throughout the whole game,” Ruff said.
Ruff added later: “I do feel snake bit, there’s no doubt. The Aube-Kubel play in Prague, the wrap-around (by McLeod). It’s going to go in. We continue to do the right things the puck is going to go in the back of the net or we’re sending every goaltender we play to the All-Star Game, one of the two.”
The Sabres continued to generate chances even after Kopitar tied the game, including shots off the post from Tage Thompson and Bowen Byram.
“We are a skilled team,” Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin said. “we are talented. We create a lot, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t score. We just got to continue to do it. Eventually it will start going in and the guys will start feeling a little more confident with the goal scoring and stuff. So, we just got to keep going.”
Here’s more from the loss to the Kings.
