What went right (and wrong) in Buffalo Sabres loss to Carolina?

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RALEIGH, NC – NOVEMBER 07: Zemgus Girgensons #28 of the Buffalo Sabres scores a goal and celebrates with Jeff Skinner #53 and Alex Tuch #89 during the third period the game against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena on November 07, 2023 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Hurricanes defeat Sabres 3-2. (Photo by Jaylynn Nash/Getty Images) /

Right – Heads up plays

Buffalo’s power play goal from Dahlin last night was nothing more than a sound heads-up pass from Casey Mittelstadt. But that was the second of a pair of heads-up plays, with the first coming earlier in the game from JJ Peterka.

Peterka, while sliding across the ice and nearly into the boards, located the puck, and nudged it in front of Carolina’s crease. For a fraction of a second, it looked as though the Hurricanes retrieved possession before Alex Tuch skated over, retook possession, and found twine.

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The Sabres, especially when they are struggling to get shots on net, must pull off those “attention to detail” plays more often. Without Mittelstadt’s and Peterka’s efforts last night to make something happen, the Blue and Gold weren’t walking away from this one with a point, and they wouldn’t be two points outside of the top three as of Wednesday morning.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference and NHL.com)

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