Lousy defense for the Sabres tonight in what was a really fun game, losing 6-5 in overtime on the road to the Ducks to end this four game win streak on this trip.
Buffalo opened the scoring just 3:36 into the game, with Owen Power behind the net, toss it out in front to an open Alex Tuch for a quick one timer far side to give the Sabres an early 1-0 lead. Chris Kreider answered back for the Ducks on the power play with some nice work individually on the zone entry by Leo Carlsson and a nice pass across the ice for Kreider to one time top shelf past Lyon and tie it up, 9:27 into the game. A little under three minutes later, Anaheim took the lead on yet another power play goal, with Jackson LaCombe ripping it through a screen for a clean shot from the blue line to give the Ducks a 2-1 lead with 7:37 to go in the first. The Sabres tied it up with 2:46 left in the first with Ostlund feeding it it to zone cross the ice with a beautiful play, leaving Doan open right on the doorstep of the net to find top shelf. Buffalo poured it on late that period, especially after tying it up, doing a good job moving the puck and getting looks. Fun first.
The Ducks took the lead back 2:35 into the second period, with a nice individual effort on the zone entry, the around Dahlin and to the net for Beckett Sennecke to make it a 3-2 game. They added to the lead with Troy Terry taking a rebound off the wall, walking in through the Sabres defense and backhanding it far side past Lyon with 4:20 to go in the second. Not great. Anaheim was the better team all period, gotta find a way to turn it around in the third.
Jack Quinn got the Sabres back within one, ripping it through a screen after a nice drop pass from Dahlin to make it 4-3, 4:38 into the third. The Sabres tied it up again with 9:55 remaining in the third with Owen Power shooting it from the point right off the face off to knot it up. With 8:23 to go, Zach Benson gave Buffalo their first lead since the first period, with Husso not able to cover it up and Beck Malenstyn was able to dig it out, get it to Benson in front to put into the wide open net to put us up 5-4. With 1:44 to go, the Ducks capitalized on the power play on a six on four with Mikael Granlund beating Lyon to tie it up 5-5. With that, we go to overtime and get the point.
In overtime, Troy Terry got away on a breakaway after taking the puck from Tage off the wall on the neutral zone and ended it with a nice backhand top shelf, ending this four game win streak.
FINAL: Sabres 5, Ducks 6 (OT)
At least we get a point there, but not great to lose this one. Bad defensive game for the Sabres. The Ducks had a step on us all game. Good fight to come back from a two goal deficit and tying it up and then taking the lead in the third, but sucks to lose that one in overtime. The Ducks had 25 scoring chances to our 18, and we got outshot 33-29. We couldn’t stay out of the box and the penalty kill, which has been great this season, was awful tonight, giving up three goals on the man down. Lyon wasn’t all that great, and we take the loss to end this road trip.
Back home to take on the Bruins on Wednesday night, gotta bounce back.
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