Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - It was a high-scoring way to close out the 2024 Sabres Prospects Challenge at Harborcenter, but things didn't go the way of the Buffalo Sabres on Monday afternoon.
In the final game of the tournament in Downtown Buffalo, the Pittsburgh Penguins got the upper-hand of the Sabres in a contest that featured 13 total goals between the two teams.
Near the halfway point of the opening period of play, the Sabres managed to grab the first goal of the game on a power play opportunity.
After nearly losing the puck along the boards, Sabres winger Isak Rosen managed to regain his composure and find winger Viktor Neuchev hanging around the right faceoff dot. He quickly wired a wrist shot past the blocker of Penguins goalie Taylor Gauthier for a 1-0 lead.
About five minutes later, off a faceoff to the left of the Pittsburgh net, Jiri Kulich was able to get a second-chance opportunity from the slot and wired home his fourth goal of the tournament off the bar and in.
With 2:20 remaining on the clock and both teams skating at 4-on-4, the Penguins scored their first goal of the game and cut the Buffalo lead to 2-1. It was Avery Hayes finishing off a 2-on-1 rush into the Buffalo zone along with Tristan Broz with a shot past Sabres goalie Scott Ratzlaff.
Both teams were able to throw 14 shots on goal at each other in the opening period, but the Sabres managed to come away with the one-goal advantage through 20 minutes.
In a power play chance that trickled into the second period, the Penguins were able to tie the game thanks to Hayes' second goal of the game. He was able to get a piece of a puck thrown on goal by forward Ville Koivunen.
Less than two minutes later, Hayes completed the hat-trick with a stellar individual effort. After collecting a pass in the neutral zone, Hayes raced to the Buffalo net for not one, not two, but chances to put the puck in the back of the net. His third chance just got past Ratzlaff's extended left leg.
The early scoring frenzy continued a little more than a minute later on a Buffalo power play, as Kulich was able to wire home his second goal of the game and fifth goal of the tournament. After the puck failed to find Neuchev in front of the Pittsburgh net, Rosen was able to connect with Kulich again for the game-tying goal, 3-3.
Pittsburgh regained the lead on another 4-on-4 situation eight minutes later, as Koivunen was able to walk into the high slot from the point and fire a wrist shot over the blocker of Ratzlaff.
Following the go-ahead goal, the Penguins made a goaltending change, as Gauthier exited the game for Sergei Murashov.
After the Sabres were able to successfully kill off a 5-on-3 power play for the Penguins, they gave up another goal to allow Pittsburgh to extend the lead by a pair. Mathieu De St. Phalle was able to enter the zone, and then get a return pass from Emil Pieniniemi that beat Ratzlaff through the five-hole.
The Penguins were able to slightly outshoot the Sabres, 11-10, in the second period, and were able to find the back of the net four times to carry the two-goal advantage into the third period.
To start the final 20 minutes in Buffalo, the Sabres made a goaltending change with Ryerson Leenders coming in for Ratzlaff.
It took just 23 seconds into the third period for the Sabres to cut into the deficit thanks to Neuchev, who fired home his second goal of the game through the five-hole of Murashov to make it a 5-4 hockey game.
In another 4-on-4 situation, the Penguins regained their two-goal advantage thanks to a goal from Broz. He managed to sneak behind Rosen on the rush, and then lift a shot over the blocker of Leenders in goal.
Pittsburgh extended its lead to 7-4 when a breakdown in the Buffalo end resulted in a goal for Logan Pietila for his first of the tournament.
Buffalo wasted little time responding, as Konsta Helenius made a great play to keep a puck alive in the offensive zone, take the puck below the goal line, and feed 2023 second-round pick Anton Wahlberg for his first goal of the tournament.
Then with time running out in the final period, the Penguins added one more goal to their total thanks to Rutger McGroarty, who finished off a 2-on-1 pass from Hayes to make it an 8-5 final.
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SCORING RECAP
First Period:
BUF: 10:08 - Viktor Neuchev (1) PPG (Isak Rosen, Vsevolod Komarov); 15:05 - Jiri Kulich (4) (Isak Rosen)
PIT: 17:40 - Avery Hayes (3) (Tristan Broz, Emil Pieniniemi)
Second Period:
BUF: 3:43 - Jiri Kulich (5) PPG (Isak Rosen, Olivier Nadeau)
PIT: 0:46 - Avery Hayes (4) PPG (Ville Koivunen, Tristan Broz); 2:34 - Avery Hayes (5) PPG (Rutger McGroarty, Scooter Brickey); 11:46 - Ville Koivunen (1) (Scooter Brickey, Owen Pickering); 16:31 - Mathieu De St. Phalle (2) (Emil Pieniniemi)
Third Period:
BUF: 0:23 - Viktor Neuchev (2) (Jiri Kulich, Vsevolod Komarov); 12:25 - Anton Wahlberg (1) (Konsta Helenius)
PIT: 5:01 - Tristian Broz (3) (Ville Koivunen, Donovan McCoy); 11:40 - Logan Pietila (1) (Atley Calvert, Cooper Foster); 18:30 - Rutger McGroarty (2) (Avery Hayes, Vasily Ponomarev)
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Losi & Gangi Three Stars of the Game:
1.) Avery Hayes - PIT
2.) Ville Koivunen - PIT
3.) Jiri Kulich - BUF
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What's next:
The Sabres will report for training camp this week, with the first practice officially being held Wednesday in Downtown Buffalo.
Buffalo will officially open its preseason schedule on Saturday against this same Penguins team at KeyBank Center. Faceoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET on the radio home of the Sabres - WGR Sports Radio 550.