Sabres open road trip with loss to Capitals

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Buffalo Sabres established an early lead and carried a tie game into the third period, but Dylan Strome’s goal with 8:55 remaining stood as the difference in a 4-2 Washington Capitals victory at Capital One Arena on Saturday.

The loss extended the Sabres’ winless streak to nine games at 0-6-3.

“I thought we did some good things,” said forward Jason Zucker, whose deflection gave the Sabres a 1-0 lead 1:36 into the game. “Wasn’t enough to win though.”

The Capitals, who sit atop the Eastern Conference standings at 21-6-2, earned a 12-6 edge in shots during the first period despite Zucker’s early goal. Tom Wilson buried a deflection on the power play to tie the game with 2:51 left to play in the period, then scored another power-play goal off a rebound early in the second.

The Sabres earned seven of their 12 high-danger scoring chances during the second period but only scored once, on a deflection by Jiri Kulich that tied the score at 2-2. They were unsuccessful on a late power play that bled into the start of the third period, finishing the night 0-for-2 with the extra man.

The Sabres had changed up their power-play units entering the game in an effort to snap a 1-for-26 slump, including a move for Tage Thompson to the bumper position from his usual spot on the flank.

“I just didn’t think they looked comfortable,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “And I know it was a shot, to try to give them an opportunity, but we put Tommer in a different spot. It’s just something we’re going to continue to work on.”

Both teams tightened up defensively for a low-event third period in which shots were 5-5. Strome found open space in the slot area off a neutral-zone counter to redirect a pass from John Carlson for the game-winning goal. Jakob Chychrun scored an empty-net goal from the opposite end of the ice for added insurance with 1:30 left to play.

“I don’t think we got enough pucks to the net in the third,” Zucker said. “I think we could have got some more pucks around the net and focused on getting some more shots, getting more bodies around the net. We were doing pretty well in the second, getting away from guys, creating some chances off of their D-zone man-on-man coverage. I don’t think we did a good enough job of that in the third.”

The result marked yet another close loss for the Sabres, who had dropped six of the previous eight games by just one goal. They have scored first in six of the nine contests on their current winless streak.

“We’ve got to learn how to be OK in a tie game or in those one-goal games and continue to push,” Zucker said. “Right now we have a tendency – and typically when you’re on a losing streak you tend to do it a little bit more – [to] try to not lose the game rather than take it and try to win.”

Here’s more from the loss.

1. Kulich’s goal came less than two minutes after Dylan Cozens fought Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary. The fight was in response to a hard hit from Fehervary on Sabres defenseman Ryan Johnson.

With Cozens in the penalty box, Tage Thompson filled in on the wing alongside Zach Benson and Kulich. Thompson’s play along the wall bought time until he found a lane to pass to Bowen Byram, who sent a one-timer from the point with Kulich in front for the tip.

Ruff kept Thompson on a line with Kulich and Benson for the remainder of the game as a result of the play. Cozens centered JJ Peterka and Alex Tuch.

“I liked what those guys were doing together,” Ruff said. “So, I flipped Cozens back in the middle and put Tommer over on the wing, and those guys had probably three or four opportunities. But if you get around the front of the net, you’ll get rewarded, and [Kulich] has been able to score a couple goals like that.”

2. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen started in goal and made 27 saves, including five on high-danger attempts (according to Natural Stat Trick). He dropped to a split to stuff a Strome backhand attempt during the third period as the Sabres pushed for the tying goal.

3. The loss opened a three-game road trip for the Sabres, who had played their last five contests at home. The trip continues Sunday night in Toronto.

Up next

The road trip continues in Toronto on Sunday. Coverage on MSG begins at 4:30 p.m. with puck drop scheduled for 5.