After dropping every game of a four-game Western Conference road stretch where every game was a must-win, the Buffalo Sabres returned home to KeyBank Center with similar results in a 4-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Penguins opened the game with the edge in overall play, outshooting the Sabres 11-0.
On their 11th shot, Pittsburgh finally converted, but it was messy. As forward Patric Hornqvist got a shot on goal, his linemate Nick Bjugstad went to the net and ended up being pushed into Sabres goalie Jonas Johansson. With Johansson down in the crease, Horqvist stuck with the puck and was able to put his rebound into the Buffalo net to make the score 1-0.
Hornqvist, 1-0 #Sabres50 #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/j0fzl8gbzA
— Buffalo Hockey moments (@SabresPlays) March 6, 2020The Sabres tried to challenge the goal for goaltender interference, but the officials reviewing the play decided that it was a good goal, which gave the Penguins a power play due to Buffalo's lost challenge.
That turned out to be a stroke of decent luck for the Sabres as defenseman Jake McCabe forced a turnover in the neutral zone and went in on a shorthanded breakaway. McCabe took the puck to the net and put a nice move on Penguins goalie Matt Murray to score his third goal of the season to tie the game at 1-1.
Three minutes later, the Penguins found their way back on the scoreboard to put them ahead 2-1. Evgeni Malkin brought the play into the zone before dropping a pass to Bryan Rust, who found Marcus Pettersson at the point for a booming shot that found its way past Johansson.
The Sabres held control of the first half of the second period, but Johan Larrson was called for a goalie interference penalty that lead to Patric Hornqvist's second goal to make it 3-1 Penguins. The Sabres had held the Penguins without a shot for 12 minutes and 36 seconds before the Penguins finally got one.
Buffalo answered quickly to start the third period as Dominik Kahun found a wide-open Marcus Johansson in the slot, and the Sabres forward fired a wrist shot past Murray to bring the Sabres within one.
Less than five minutes later, the Penguins got their two-goal lead back again. After Kyle Okposo failed to convert on a nice pass from Jack Eichel to the right of Murray, Pittsburgh broke back the other way and Sidney Crosby finished off the play with a backhand shot that got past Johansson for the 4-2 advantage.
GAME SUMMARY
Goal Summary:
First Period:
BUF: 9:01 - Jake McCabe (3) SHG (Unassisted)PIT: 7:56 - Patric Hornqvist (16) (Nick Bjugstad, Jared McCann); 12:26 - Marcus Pettersson (2) (Bryan Rust, Evgeni Malkin)
Second Period:
BUF: NONEPIT: 13:22 - Patric Hornqvist (17) PPG (Evgeni Malkin, Justin Schultz)
Third Period:
BUF: 1:57 - Marcus Johansson (9) (Dominik Kahun, Rasmu7s Dahlin)PIT: 6:02 - Sidney Crosby (15) (Jason Zucker)
Penalty Summary:
First Period:
BUF: 7:56 - BENCH (Delay of Game - 2 min.)PIT: 18:29 - Kris Letang (Slashing - 2 min.)
Second Period:
BUF: 12:31 - Johan Larsson (Goalie interference - 2 min.); 15:23 - Lawrence Pilut (Slashing - 2 min.)PIT: 15:56 - Evgeni Malkin (Cross-checking - 2 min.)
Third Period:
BUF: NONEPIT: 7:31 - Teddy Blueger (High-sticking - 2 min.)
Strategic Financial Solutions Stats of the Game:
Shots on Goal:
PIT: 32 (16, 3, 13)BUF: 30 (9, 10, 11)Goalies:
PIT: Matt Murray - 28 savesBUF: Jonas Johansson - 28 saves
Power Plays:
PIT: 1 for 3 (33.3%)BUF: 0 for 3 (0%)
Three Stars:
- Evgeni Malkin - PIT
- Patric Hornqvist - PIT
- Matt Murray - PIT
What's Next:
The Sabres travel to Philadelphia to take on the Flyers on Saturday night at Wells Fargo Center. Faceoff is set for 7 p.m. with the Paul William Beltz Pregame Show starting at 6 p.m. with Brian Koziol.
