Sabres can't overcome early penalties in loss to Florida

Coming into KeyBank Center on Thursday night, the Florida Panthers had averaged 11:33 of penalty time per game this season. That number ranked second in the NHL, and it figured to bode well for a Buffalo Sabres team that entered the night with one of the league's hottest power plays.
Initially, that held up. Florida took a penalty early in the first period and Ryan O'Reilly opened the scoring for Buffalo with the extra man. It was the Sabres, however, who found themselves trapped in the penalty box from that point on, and it ended up costing them in a 4-2 loss.
The Sabres took four penalties in the first period, including two that came just six seconds apart to give the Panthers an extended 5-on-3 power play on which Keith Yandle would score their first goal. Mike Matheson added a second power-play goal less than four minutes later.

Johan Larsson earned the first penalty for holding, after which Marco Scandella cleared a puck over the end boards to receive a minor for delay of game. The third Buffalo penalty, which led to Matheson's goal, was for too many men on the ice.
"We can't start the game taking four penalties," Sabres coach Phil Housley said. "Everything was going in the right direction, we take a penalty. I understand we're going to have to kill penalties, but we shoot a puck over the glass five-on-three and we lose a draw, now we're chasing the game again."

With momentum in their favor, the Panthers extended their lead to 3-1 on an even-strength goal from Denis Malgin with 1:49 remaining in the first period. Emotions ran high when the Sabres returned to their dressing room for intermission.
"Yeah, we showed some emotion in here," O'Reilly said. "We knew it wasn't what we wanted. We were disappointed with it and we made a change. We just all committed to sticking together and outworking them the rest of the game. It was better, but still it's not consistent enough."
The Sabres were a new team from that point on, dominating from the start of the second period despite being down a man on the ice. Zemgus Girgensons brought them within one with a shorthanded goal just 32 seconds into the period, which set the tone for the remainder of the game.
If penalties were Buffalo's Achilles' heel in the first 20 minutes, missed opportunities were what plagued them in the last 40. The Sabres had ample chances to tie the game, including a shift coming off a power play in the second period that was so dominant, Florida forward Colton Sceviour was stuck on the ice for 3:34 (Mark Pysyk was right behind him, on the ice for 3:25 straight).
"We definitely had enough chances after the first period," Housley said. "I thought we had them on the ropes a couple of times. Unfortunately, we were missing the net, trying to be too fine."
In the end, Buffalo tallied 67 shot attempts to Florida's 50. Sixteen of them went wide of the net and 19 more were blocked. A few even came on looks from alone in the slot, including one from Evander Kane late in the third period.
"I think I was trying to put the puck in a three-inch by three-inch spot there," Kane said. "I feel like on goals you just need to put it on net."
Buffalo's hopes for a comeback all but evaporated when Sceviour scored with 2:24 remaining, breaking for a 2-on-1 rush and tucking a shot beneath the arm of Sabres goalie Chad Johnson. Johnson made 28 saves on 32 shots, while Panthers rookie Harri Sateri made 30 saves for his second NHL win.
For both teams, the game ended as it began: with a flock of penalties. Three were assessed to Kane, who received two minutes for roughing, five for interference and a 10-minute misconduct when he collided with Aleksander Barkov with 2:01 remaining.
Nick Bjugstad was also assessed a minor for roughing in the ensuing scrum.
"I was gliding in and I didn't really even see him," Kane said. "I kind of got tripped up and fell down and didn't really know what was going on. They came over and started the scrum."
Emotions continued to pour over in the game's final minute. Jake McCabe got into an exchange with Vincent Trocheck, and Larsson received a match penalty for cross-checking Trocheck to his head. McCabe then fought Alexander Petrovic, resulting in fighting majors for both players (Petrovic also received a game misconduct).
Was the tension a result of emotion or physicality? Likely a bit of both, Housley said, although the Sabres were honest about their frustration regarding their home struggles. They have now lost two games to open their five-game homestand after winning three on the road last week.
"It's so frustrating when you don't win at home," alternate captain Kyle Okposo said. "We've got to pick our game up."

Girgensons nets his fifth

The Sabres opened the second period shorthanded, but that didn't stop Girgensons from netting his fifth goal of the season to cut the deficit to 3-2. Girgensons took an initial shot on the rush and then slipped to the high slot while Larsson handled the rebound behind the net.
With all five Panthers down low, Girgensons was left open to receive the return pass from Larsson and take his shot.

Another for the power play

Sam Reinhart has said that Buffalo's recent success on the power play is a product of the players reading well off each other, and that was certainly the case on O'Reilly's goal in the first period. Okposo passed to Reinhart in front of the net and Reinhart quickly tapped a pass behind him to set up O'Reilly in the slot.

The goal extended point-per-game streaks for all three players involved. Okposo now has 15 points (4+11) in 15 games, O'Reilly has 10 (5+5) in 10 and Reinhart has eight (3+5) in seven.
The Sabres power play, meanwhile, is 12-for-42 since Jan. 1 for a mark of 28.6 percent, which ranks fourth in the NHL during that span.

Up next

The Sabres continue their homestand against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night. For those looking to bring the whole family, Family Packs - which include four 300-Level tickets, four hot dogs, four sodas and four popcorns - are available here.
Looking to mingle with Sabres alumni? Another Sabres Style Girls Night Out begins at 5:30 p.m. with a pregame happy hour featuring food, drinks and former Sabres. Tickets for the event include one 300-Level ticket to the game, admission to the happy hour and participation in the Gold Carpet Experience during intermission. More information can be found here.
If you are unable to make it downtown, coverage on MSG-B begins at 6:30 p.m. with the GMC Game Night Pregame Show. You can also listen to the game live on WGR 550, with puck drop set for 7.