Seattle, Wash. (WGR 550) - The Buffalo Sabres traveled to Seattle on Tuesday night to take on the Kraken, looking to get the team's first win ever against the NHL's 32nd franchise. This game put a wrap on the first installment of "Sabres After Dark" this season, where Buffalo had already gone 3-0 on their four-game Western road trip.
Dating back to Seattle's inaugural season last year, the Kraken won both meetings against the Sabres by scores of 5-2 and 7-4. This year, the Kraken have gotten off to a decent start with a 2-3-2 record in the Pacific Division.
The Kraken got off to a hot start, scoring two goals in the first period as the Sabres defense seemed to struggle.
The second period was much of the same for Seattle, with Daniel Sprong's early goal in the middle frame extending his team's lead to 3-0.
Although Sabres forward Dylan Cozens notched notched a goal to cut into the Kraken lead, a power play goal from Seattle forward Jared McCann squashed any momentum Buffalo might have generated before the end of the period.
Kraken rookie Matty Beniers scored his third goal of the season in the third period, putting an end to the scoring in an ugly 5-1 loss for the Sabres.
While the Sabres remain winless over the Kraken, they did manage to finish the road trip with an impressive 3-1 record.
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Here are this game's three observations:
1.) Injury problems
Both defensemen Mattias Samuelsson and Henri Jokiharju have been placed on Injured Reserve lately, and will miss some time in the Sabres' lineup.
Samuelsson recently sustained a lower-body injury against the Vancouver Canucks this past Saturday, while defenseman Henri Jokiharju was banged up with an upper-body injury against the Calgary Flames last Thursday.
While these are Buffalo's only injuries to worry about for now they have a huge affect on how the line up is built.
Samuelsson has been paired with Dahlin for all of this season and a large majority of last season, which has proven to be the best all-around pairing on the team. As for Jokiharju, he's been a constant presence on the lower defensive pairings, regardless of who his partner is.
Sabres head coach Don Granato stated that he is optimistic that the return for both players will be sooner than expected. For the time being, though, the Sabres' defensive corps will remain slightly depleted.
2.) Adjusting to the NHL
With injuries to the defense, the Sabres have had to call upon some of it's depth defensemen to fill the void. Defensemen Lawrence Pilut and Kale Clague have both been called up from the Rochester Americans recently, with Pilut making his season debut in Tuesday's loss to Seattle.
While each of these players have played in the NHL before, they've all had different experiences.
In addition, Casey Fitzgerald has been forced to jump into the lineup after starting the season as the seventh defenseman.
Pilut recently returned to the North American game after a brief two-year stint in the Kontinental Hockey League in Russia. He was undrafted and signed by the Sabres in the 2018 offseason, playing 46 games with the club before going to Traktor Chelyabinsk for the 2020-21 season.
It may take him some time to re-adjust to the North American style of play.
3.) Come home and win
Sabres players and fans alike will appreciate the team0 heading back home after more than a week out West. This next three-game homestand will be a great way for the team to get back on it's feet after a tough loss.
Often times, it's hard for a team to win on the road early in the season. However, this Sabres team found a way to win three of its four games on the road, and even in different time zones.
Buffalo needs to use the confidence they have gained on this trip and get over the sour loss against Seattle.
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The Sabres will next take on the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night for a 7 p.m. ET faceoff at KeyBank Center in Downtown Buffalo. Pregame coverage starts with Schopp and the Bulldog at 6 p.m. ET on the radio home of the Buffalo Sabres - WGR Sports Radio 550.
