Sabres bounce back with win over NHL-leading Golden Knights

LAS VEGAS – Zach Benson felt no panic on the Buffalo Sabres’ bench after they fell behind to the reigning Stanley Cup champions on Friday.

The Sabres scored first in their meeting with the Vegas Golden Knights but found themselves trailing 2-1 after Jack Eichel buried a rebound 3:22 into the third period. They were tasked with coming back against an opponent that entered the night with the NHL’s best record at 20-5-5.

“The mentality is to keep going,” Benson said. “I mean, I think they scored with what, 14 minutes left? So, we had 14 minutes to come back.

“We’ve got a lot of skill in this room so, you’re down by one, we’re not too scared. We’ve got a lot of weapons in this room, and we saw that tonight.”

The Sabres answered in the form of a goal from Casey Mittelstadt just 1:39 later, then pulled ahead when Benson went to the front of the Vegas net and scored off his backhand. Benson then intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and set up an Alex Tuch goal to add cushion in what ended as a 5-2 victory.

Mittelstadt also scored an empty-net goal to complete a three-point night. Dylan Cozens scored Buffalo’s first goal and had two assists, while Devon Levi continued his strong play since being recalled from Rochester with 33 saves on 35 shots.

The performance was a resounding response by the Sabres in the aftermath of their 5-1 loss in Colorado on Wednesday, which had snapped a three-game point streak. They saw opportunity in their matchup with the Golden Knights, who had only lost twice in regulation on home ice all season.

“Obviously we were not happy at all with our last game,” Cozens said. “It was a big challenge tonight, going against the defending Cup champs. We talked about it before that it was going to be a man’s game. I think we did a lot of things good tonight.”

The Sabres played the hard, direct game that coach Don Granato called for following the loss to the Avalanche. They extended shifts on the forecheck, moved in unison in transition, and helped clear second chances in front of Levi. They blocked 19 shots, including six by Rasmus Dahlin.

They now own road victories over the NHL’s top three teams in Vegas, Boston, and the New York Rangers, all within the past month. The next step, Cozens said, is to string wins together, with an opportunity coming right away in Arizona on Saturday.

“We talked about it before, we need to find that consistency in our game,” Cozens said. “I think this is a good start. We’ve got a big one tomorrow.”

Here’s more from the victory in Vegas.

1. Levi has now stopped 114 of 121 shots in four starts since he was recalled from a two-game stint in Rochester on Dec. 5, a save percentage of .942.

His night in Vegas featured seven high-danger saves, according to Natural Stat Trick, including timely stops to keep the game scoreless during the first period. On one play, Eichel delivered a no-look pass to Mark Stone at the back door, only for Levi to slide over and rob Stone with his right pad.

“Not many goalies can make that save,” Benson said. “You see your goalie make that save and you know he’s got your back tonight, and you know you just want to fight for him.”

2. Cozens scored his first goal since Nov. 22 to put the Sabres on the board in the second period. He initiated the sequence by forcing a turnover in the neutral zone, then skated into the slot to bury a feed from Mittelstadt.

“I’ve obviously struggled to score goals this year and it’s frustrating for sure,” he said. “Especially when, you know, we’re losing games by one goal and I had a lot of chances that game and if I just buried one it could have changed the outcome of the game.

“It’s tough sometimes when you’re not scoring, but I just did my best to just stick with it and try not to get frustrated. I’m happy I found the back of the net tonight and hopefully I can get hot now.”

In addition to his three points, Cozens had three shots and won nine of his 17 faceoffs. He centered a line with JJ Peterka and Mittelstadt, the latter of whom moved to the wing in the absence of Jeff Skinner. Skinner was placed on injured reserve Thursday with an upper-body injury.

“Dylan looked great tonight,” Granato said. “Might’ve been the best he’s looked all year.”

3. Cozens also set up the game-tying goal for Mittelstadt, a one-timer scored to the near side from a tough angle during the third period.

4. Benson scored the Sabres’ lone goal in Colorado on Wednesday. He became the youngest Sabres player to score in consecutive games since Pierre Turgeon in March 1988.

“Only 18 years old and it looks like he’s been in the league for quite some time,” Granato said.

Benson’s goal was scored in front of the opposing net, an area the 5-foot-10 forward has already frequented regularly in his young career.

“He’s been incredible,” Cozens said. “I mean, he’s so smart, and not just with the puck. Away from the puck, he’s so smart too. He knows how to get to those places. And even being an undersized guy, I think when guys take runs at him, he handles it.”

Up next

The Sabres conclude the road trip in Arizona on Saturday. The pregame show on MSG/MSG+ begins at 8:30 p.m. with puck drop scheduled for 9. Radio coverage can be found on WGR 550.