Buffalo Sabres let the Isles beat them in almost every phase of the game
The Buffalo Sabres kicked off the scoring, but it was almost all Islanders from there as the Blue and Gold drop back-to-back matchups.
Last night against the Edmonton Oilers, the Buffalo Sabres lost in a thriller, but it was by all means, an encouraging performance. Buffalo put up plenty of shots on net and strung together solid shifts in the offensive zone. They just couldn’t capitalize thanks to Stuart Skinner playing an impeccable game.
Tonight, the Blue and Gold lost by the same score, but the game couldn’t have been more different. At least from the halfway point and onward. Over the first half of the second period, Buffalo looked like the better team, with Dylan Cozens starting things off when he skated between the hashmarks and got one past goaltender Ilya Sorokin, putting the Sabres up 1-0.
When New York established its forecheck, it was game over. The Islanders were also physical all night with Buffalo, who just couldn’t match the rugged play that New York demanded.
Buffalo Sabres played right into the Islanders hands
Buffalo, a team known for its speed, couldn’t get anything up the middle of the ice following Cozens’ goal. New York keyed on their favorite lanes, and the Sabres had no answer. And the frustration mounted on their bench, most notably from Tage Thompson, who was hardly a factor all night.
Despite the mishaps, Buffalo only lost 3-2. Goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, despite a stellar 0.923 save percentage and 36 saves on 39 shots on goal, could call the post and his respective defensemen’s sticks his best friends, as they bailed him out repeatedly. But Luukkonen created his own fair share of bailouts, making highlight-reel saves on at least three breakaways.
Overall, it was an uninspiring performance for the most part from the Sabres. You can’t call it an overtly poor performance, but if they keep playing this way, count them out of making the postseason.
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At this point, they need to treat every game like a playoff game. Last night against Edmonton, they did that. Tonight against the Isles, they, with the exception of a few shifts, Buffalo looked flat. And they need to get their act together fast. Dallas is coming to town on Thursday.
(Statistics provided by NHL.com)