At the Horn

An early deficit held up on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena, where the Buffalo Sabres fell 3-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights.

After winning Sunday in St. Louis, the Sabres lost three straight games to finish their road trip with a 1-2-1 record.

Jason Zucker scored the lone goal for the Sabres, his 15th of the season, to extend his four-game goal streak. Rasmus Dahlin and JJ Peterka assisted on the power-play tally. Tage Thompson recorded a team-high five shots on goal.

Sabres goaltender James Reimer made 30 saves on 33 shots in his first game since Dec. 21 – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had started five straight for Buffalo entering Saturday.

Tanner Laczynski got Vegas on the board with his first of the season. Mark Stone and Jack Eichel (1+1) also scored for Vegas, while Tanner Pearson had two assists. Goalie Adin Hill stopped 23 of 24 shots.

Buffalo went 1-for-3 on the power play and successfully killed both shorthanded situations.

Here’s more from the loss.

First Period

Zucker nearly continued his recent hot streak on the opening shift as he entered the zone with a deke around Noah Hanifin, drove to the net and missed wide with a backhand.

Laczynski gave Vegas a 1-0 lead at 4:53, collecting the rebound from Brett Howden’s point shot.

Around 12 minutes into the game, Peyton Krebs found Peterka alone in front but Hill made a right-pad save on Peterka’s reaching backhand attempt.

Stone doubled the Golden Knights’ lead at 12:23 during a delayed penalty against Buffalo. Eichel drew defenders to the left circle before finding an open Stone at the back door.

Reimer denied Howden on a partial breakaway late in the period to hold Vegas’ lead at two.

Vegas carried first-period play with a 14-6 edge in shots on goal and 7-2 in high-danger scoring chances, per Natural Stat Trick.

Second Period

Reimer made a great left-pad save on Pearson's redirected shot on the first shift of the period.

Alex Tuch and Jack Quinn had a 2-on-1 break shortly after, but Tuch’s pass deflected off Shea Theodore’s skate and out of play.

Buffalo’s first shot on goal came 7:26 minutes into the period, when Zach Benson held onto the puck below the goal line and was stopped on a wrap-around attempt.

Dahlin drew a Tomas Hertl holding penalty at 8:03 to give the Sabres the game’s first power play. Buffalo threatened in the latter half of the man advantage with two scoring chances, albeit without an official shot on Hill.

Dylan Cozens was called for holding against William Karlsson at 13:35 and sent Vegas to its first power play of the night, but Buffalo's penalty kill survived the two minutes.

The Sabres tallied four shots – three coming in the final five minutes – while Reimer made 12 saves in the scoreless period.

Third Period

Eichel tallied Vegas' third goal at 7:44, beating Reimer with a wrist shot to the glove side after Pearson set up a 2-on-1 in the offensive zone.

Tuch went off for boarding at 13:13 after making light contact on a falling Alexander Holtz against the wall. Buffalo killed the penalty and was sent to its second power play a minute later thanks to a Keegan Kolesar high stick.

With Reimer pulled for a 6-on-4 advantage, Zucker scored his eighth power-play goal of the season at 17:42. Set up at his usual net-front position, he tipped Dahlin’s point shot past Hill.

Hill was called for delay of game in the final minute for playing the puck on the edge of the trapezoid, but Buffalo wasn't able to convert.

The Sabres recorded 14 shots and 15 scoring chances in the third period after totaling 10 and six, respectively, through 40 minutes.

Jason Zucker scores his 15th of the season

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

FINAL | Golden Knights 3 - Sabres 1

UP NEXT

The Sabres return home to face the Metropolitan Division-leading Washington Capitals on Monday night. Tickets are available here.

Coverage on MSG begins at 6:30 p.m. with puck drop scheduled for 7.