The Buffalo Sabres showed late fight, but were did in by a troubling first 26-minutes of the afternoon against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The blue and gold lost by a final score of 3-2, as the visiting Penguins emerged victorious inside KeyBank Center on Saturday.
The visitors scored first in the opening period, when with 10:30 gone forward Jared McCann banked a goal in and off the backside of Dustin Tokarski. McCann took the shot from below the goal line, good for his 12th of the season.
In the second period, the Penguins doubled their lead thanks to a goal from a former Buffalo Sabre. Evan Rodrigues was in the right place at the right time following a Dylan Cozens defensive zone turnover, and scored glove-side on Tokarski.
45-seconds later, though, the Sabres quickly cut their deficit in half. The Rasmus Asplund-Casey Mittelstadt-Tage Thompson line went to work immediately, resulting in the sixth goal of the year for Thompson.
Pittsburgh extended their lead back to two goals with 12:15 gone in the middle stanza. On a powerplay, it was forward Bryan Rust re-directing a Sidney Crosby pass into the Buffalo net to make it 3-1.
The Sabres pulled to within one just past the midway point of the third when the blue and gold capitalized on a powerplay. Red-hot Casey Mittelstadt ripped his seventh goal of the last 10 games in behind Jarry on the man advantage.
Unfortunately, that would end up being the last goal of regulation. Buffalo applied pressure and had Tokarski pulled for the last 2:20 of the game, but could not solve Jarry in their search for the game-tying goal.
Losi and Gangi Three Stars of the Game:
1.) Tristan Jarry - PIT
2.) Jared McCann - PIT
3.) Tage Thompson - BUF
What's Next:
Same time, same place for these East Division foes, as the Sabres and Penguins run it back on Sunday afternoon. Puck drop inside KeyBank Center is set for 3 p.m. EST, and the Paul William Beltz Pregame Show with Brian Koziol starts at 2 p.m. EST on the radio home of the Buffalo Sabres - WGR Sports Radio 550.
