(WGR 550/WBEN) – The Buffalo Sabres lost on Thursday to the Utah Hockey Club 5-2, but it wasn't from a lack of effort or bad goaltending. Buffalo wasn't as good in this game as they were in their wins over the Edmonton Oilers, Vegas Golden Knights and Boston Bruins, but the game was right there for them late in the third period. Their constant trouble with situational awareness bit them again.
Trailing 3-2, Kevin Stenlund took a high sticking penalty in front. Buffalo had James Reimer pulled for the extra attacker and someone has to let Jack Quinn or Tage Thompson know that there's a delayed penalty and to give Utah the puck. Thompson had no idea there was a delayed penalty and tried to put the puck back to Rasmus Dahlin. It was a bad pass that went off the wall and all the way down into the empty net. Mikhail Sergachev then added a shorthanded empty netter that went in off Dahlin's glove.
Buffalo leads the NHL with 23 empty net goals against. That's four more than the next team.
Reimer had a really good game and made quite a few huge saves when called upon. You can't blame him for any of the goals.
In the first period Ryan McLeod turned the puck over when he tried to pass up the middle and hit Clayton Keller's skate. It went right to Nick Schmaltz who converted the 2-on-0 with a layup pass to Logan Cooley.
On the second goal Thompson lost the draw to Jack McBain and then followed McBain to the net. When he got there he backed into Reimer who was screened which allowed Sergachev to beat him easily. Reimer never saw the shot.
On the third goal Dahlin was just to the right of Reimer and almost completely fanned on his pass. He got a very small piece of the puck and handed it to Dylan Guenther who was staring at half an open net after Reimer had made two great saves.
Early in the third period, McLeod was killing a penalty and stole the puck and used his speed to get in alone on Karel Vejmelka. He put a nifty move on for his second shorthanded goal of the season. That made the game 2-2 and gave the Sabres a chance to win.
Thompson got a chance in the second period when he could've shot from in front or pass to a wide open Alex Tuch who missed the net. JJ Peterka then got in through the circle and Vejmelka stopped him.
Peterka did blast a one-timer past him on the power play with an assist from Jason Zucker, but Dahlin had a power play chance where Vejmelka robbed him with a glove save.
Peterka also missed the net on a breakaway in the first period, so as you can see, the Sabres did create some good chances that could've won the game.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had started seven straight games and 12-of-13 which is why Reimer got the start. It sounds like Luukkonen will play Saturday in Minnesota, Reimer will play Sunday in Winnipeg and then back to Luukkonen for Tuesday's home game against the Ottawa Senators.
Just 11 seconds into the second period, Beck Malenstyn tipped in a Tyson Kozak shot, but Utah challenged the goal for goaltender interference and the goal was overturned. Malenstyn made contact with Vejmelka's stick on the top of the crease. Kozak has lost both his first NHL goal and his first NHL assist on plays that were overturned.
Before the game the Sabres signed Jacob Bryson to a one-year contract extension for the same $900,000 that he made this season.
