At the Horn | Wild 4 - Sabres 1

The Buffalo Sabres fell 4-1 to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday at Xcel Energy Center.

Minnesota's three-goal second period was the difference as Buffalo is now 1-2-0 through three games on its current four-game road trip.

JJ Peterka scored in a second straight game, accounting for the Sabres’ only goal; Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin got the assists. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen started in net for Buffalo and made 17 saves on 20 shots.

Defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker made his Sabres debut, playing his first game since Dec. 28 with Ottawa. With Buffalo dressing seven blueliners, Bernard-Docker skated 11:29 and wasn’t on the ice for any goals by either team.

Forward Zach Benson returned from a one-game absence due to illness, while Jack Quinn and Brett Murray were scratched. Sam Lafferty didn’t return from the second intermission after skating 7:33 between the first two periods, leaving the Sabres with 10 forwards in the third.

Marco Rossi, Justin Brazeau, Mats Zuccarello and Frederick Gaudreau (empty net) scored for the Wild. Zuccarello also tallied an assist, and Matt Boldy tallied two. Minnesota goalie Filip Gustavsson stopped 20 of 21 shots.

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Period

Buffalo got an early power play when Alex Tuch drew a high-sticking minor. The man advantage came up empty despite some heavy pressure from both Sabres units; Gustavsson’s right skate denied Tuch of what looked like a sure goal. Buffalo then killed off a Minnesota power play.

The Sabres outshot the Wild 8-6 in the scoreless first period and led 23-15 in shot attempts, per Natural Stat Trick.

Second Period

Rossi opened the scoring for Minnesota just 56 seconds into the period, getting open in front of the net and snapping Yakov Trenin’s centering pass past Luukkonen.

Brazeau made it 2-0 a few minutes later in a net-front scramble during a delayed penalty. The puck bounced into the net off Brazeau’s skate, but the officials deemed it wasn’t a kicking motion and the goal stood.

Then Zuccarello scored on the rush to give Minnesota its third goal in the first 8:11 of the period.

Through 40 minutes, Minnesota led 3-0 and held a 12-5 advantage in high-danger scoring chances.

Third Period

Ryan McLeod drew a hook for an early-period power play, but the Sabres couldn’t cut into their deficit. At 6:48, though, in a 4-on-4 situation, Peterka beat Gustavsson five-hole on the rush to bring Buffalo within two goals.

Buffalo pulled Luukkonen with roughly 2:30 remaining and called its timeout with 1:58. Gaudreau scored an empty netter with 33 seconds to play.

Peterka’s goal was all for the Sabres, who led 7-5 in third-period shots.

UP NEXT

The road trip concludes Sunday afternoon at Winnipeg. Coverage on MSG begins at 2:30 p.m. with puck drop scheduled for 3.