As we have written far too many times already this season, the Buffalo Sabres lost another game last night. They fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins by the familiar score of 5-2. The Sabres have lost four of their previous five games by the score of 5-2. You can’t say they aren’t consistent.
The Sabres have lost as many games by the score of 5-2 as they have regulation wins on the season. Both outcomes have happened four times so far this season. And the sad part is, I almost feel like we will see another 5-2 loss before we see another regulation win.
Each team scored within a minute of each other in the first period. Evgeni Malkin scored the game’s opening goal off an assist from Kasperi Kapanen, which gave Malkin a wide-open net to shoot at, and he did not miss.
The Sabres responded just 27 seconds later with a wrap-around goal from Tage Thompson, which was his first goal of the season. Kyle Okposo and Cody Eakin were credited with the assists on Thompson’s goal.
The Penguins struck first in the second period with a goal off a backhand shot from Brandon Tanev that snuck by Jonas Johansson. Buffalo responded again just a few minutes after when Victor Olofsson scored off a one-time opportunity assisted by Riley Sheahan. But the Sabres could not keep the Penguins off the board for the rest of the second as Jake Guentzel capitalized on a Pittsburgh power play and put the Penguins up one going into the third.
The Sabres could not get anything going in the third. Pittsburgh added on two more goals in the third to make it a 5-2 game. One coming from Anthony Angello, who beat Johansson on his glove side, and the final goal coming off an empty net opportunity for Bryan Rust.
The Sabres losing streak is now up to nine games, and it is really starting to feel like they may never win again. They take on the Penguins once again tomorrow night with hopes of snapping their losing streak before it hits double digits.