Following two low scoring losses to come out of the All Star break, the Sabres bounced back in a huge way on home ice tonight, with a fantastic 7-0 shutout win against the LA Kings.
The Sabres got on the board first just 4:25 into the game on a goal on a nice second effort from JJ Peterka on his own shot. David Rittich made the initial save on the shot, but the puck trickled past him before he could freeze it and following his own shot, Peterka from behind the net tapped it in for the 1-0 Buffalo lead. With 3:02 left in the first, Jordan Greenway made it a 2-0 game, stealing the puck away on a pass right in the Kings zone and beating Rittich. They quickly extended the lead to 3-0 with a tip in from Okposo on a Dylan Cozens shot on the power play with 34.4 seconds left in the first. Fantastic first period for Buffalo, controlling the puck on both ends of the ice and playing a good, fast, and clean 20 minutes of hockey. One of the best periods I’ve watched them play all year.
Buffalo extended the lead in the second period to a solid 4-0, 6:42 into the second as Dahlin ripped a shot bar down from the top of the circle. Zach Benson added to the lead, making it 5-0 with 5:43 left in the second. Making some nice moves once he got the puck right in front of the net, elevating the puck over Rittich for his goal as he was falling to the ice. Another great period on both ends of the ice.
In the third, Alex Tuch sniped the puck past Cam Talbot on the first shot he saw in relief of Rittich, just 4:30 into the period to extend the blowout to 6-0 Sabres. Jordan Greenway then got his second of the night to make it 7-0 Buffalo, getting right in front on some nice puck movement and crashing the net. They held on, and gave UPL his fourth shutout of the season.
FINAL: Sabres 7, Kings 0
Fantastic game, can’t complain about a 7-0 win in the slightest. The Sabres were outshot 33-24, but they poured it on tonight, outplaying the Kings by an expected goal rate of 3.45-2.39. Luukkonen made some very timely saves in goal, with a consistent defense in front of him that limited scoring chances and high danger scoring opportunities, while the offense sustained pressure in the LA zone and put themselves in the right places to score.
Great game. Let’s go Buffalo!
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