Buffalo is back from the 2019 NHL Global Series and will return to practice on Wednesday
By Chris Ryndak / Sabres.com
The Sabres are back home after a week in Sweden. The Lightning swept the Global Series at Ericsson Globe in Stockholm with a 3-2 win on Friday and a 5-3 win on Saturday.
Buffalo will return to practice on Wednesday. The team’s next game is at KeyBank Center on Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Saturday is Hockey Fights Cancer Night when the Ottawa Senators come to town. All fans in attendance on Saturday will receive a Hockey Fights Cancer scarf courtesy of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Here’s what you need to know.
A look back at Sweden
From Saturday night’s Lexus Postgame Report…
When the Buffalo Sabres look back on the 2019 NHL Global Series, they’ll view it as an amazing experience to help grow the game of hockey, but also as a missed opportunity to gain some ground in the Atlantic Division standings.
Sam Reinhart, Victor Olofsson and Jack Eichel scored for Buffalo on Saturday, but the Sabres fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3 at Ericsson Globe in Stockholm. Carter Hutton made 35 saves. The Lightning also won the first game of the series on Friday, meaning the Sabres are going home without any points on the trip.
“It was a great experience. It was very unique and a once-in-a-lifetime or whatever you want to call it, but we just lost four points to a divisional opponent so not too much of a success,” Eichel said.
“It was outstanding in every way except for our results,” head coach Ralph Krueger said. “The hospitality was felt by the team the whole time we were here. It was a wonderful experience that we’ll look back on with pleasure once these games become lessons that make us stronger in the future.”
The Sabres ended up outshooting the Lightning 43-40 in the game, an uptick from their outing on Friday. However, they’re not finding the back of the net as often as they’d like. It’s led to a 1-6-1 stretch in their last seven games after opening the season 8-1-1 in their first 10. They’ve also lost four in a row in regulation and Buffalo does not have a power-play goal to show for in that time.
“You saw at the beginning of the year when we were having a lot of success, our special teams were coming up big for us,” Eichel said. “Right now, it seems like the power play might be a little snake bitten.
“The penalty kill, it seems like everything is maybe bouncing against us. I really think we’re working hard. Guys are blocking shots. It’s not for a lack of effort or grit. Guys are stepping in front of one-timers so it’s not that.
“Maybe it’s a little bit on our plate of just executing. Our coach has such a good game plan for us every night with our penalty kill, and same with the power play.”
Roster move
The Sabres assigned Lawrence Pilut to the Rochester Americans of the AHL this morning. Pilut was called up as an extra defenseman for the Global Series, but did not dress in either game.
He’s played in 8 AHL games this year, recording 1 goal and 5 assists, after undergoing successful shoulder surgery in the offseason.
Rochester plays host to Syracuse on Wednesday.