Buffalo looks to snap its 2-game home losing streak
By Chris Ryndak / Sabres.com
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres continue their homestand Saturday night against the St. Louis Blues. Last night, the team fell to the Florida Panthers, 4-2, at KeyBank Center. Buffalo was up 1-0, but then got into some penalty trouble. They were able to make it 3-2 early in the second period thanks to a shorthanded goal from Zemgus Girgensons, but couldn’t even the score.
The Sabres were back on the ice this morning for practice.
Here’s what you need to know.
About last night
From the Lexus Postgame Report…
Coming into KeyBank Center on Thursday night, the Florida Panthers had averaged 11:33 of penalty time per game this season. That number ranked second in the NHL, and it figured to bode well for a Buffalo Sabres team that entered the night with one of the league’s hottest power plays.
Initially, that held up. Florida took a penalty early in the first period and Ryan O’Reilly opened the scoring for Buffalo with the extra man. It was the Sabres, however, who found themselves trapped in the penalty box from that point on, and it ended up costing them in a 4-2 loss.
The Sabres took four penalties in the first period, including two that came just six seconds apart to give the Panthers an extended 5-on-3 power play on which Keith Yandle would score their first goal. Mike Matheson added a second power-play goal less than four minutes later.
Johan Larsson earned the first penalty for holding, after which Marco Scandella cleared a puck over the end boards to receive a minor for delay of game. The third Buffalo penalty, which led to Matheson’s goal, was for too many men on the ice.
“We can’t start the game taking four penalties,” Sabres coach Phil Housley said. “Everything was going in the right direction, we take a penalty. I understand we’re going to have to kill penalties, but we shoot a puck over the glass five-on-three and we lose a draw, now we’re chasing the game again.”
Emotions continued to pour over in the game’s final minute. Jake McCabe got into an exchange with Vincent Trocheck, and Larsson received a match penalty for cross-checking Trocheck to his head. McCabe then fought Alexander Petrovic, resulting in fighting majors for both players (Petrovic also received a game misconduct).
Was the tension a result of emotion or physicality? Likely a bit of both, Housley said, although the Sabres were honest about their frustration regarding their home struggles. They have now lost two games to open their five-game homestand after winning three on the road last week.
“It’s so frustrating when you don’t win at home,” alternate captain Kyle Okposo said. “We’ve got to pick our game up.”
Tomorrow night is both a Family Pack Game (Each Family Pack game ticket – minimum of 4 game tickets per transaction – comes with coupons for a hot dog, soda and popcorn) and for our women hockey fans, a Sabres Style night out.