Buffalo, NY (WGR 550) - The Sabres certainly didn't have their game Monday against Arizona, but still got a point in the shootout loss. It was the Sabres' first loss at home, making them 5-0-1. It was a very successful month of October as the Sabres finished 9-2-2.
Buffalo, once again, got out to a 2-0 lead and blew their two-goal lead.
Monday was Jack Eichel's 23rd birthday and he celebrated it early. Just three-seconds after the Sabres went on the power play, Eichel wristed home his seventh goal of the season. It was a set play off the faceoff with Sam Reinhart taking the draw after Eichel was kicked out of the circle.
Arizona pretty much set up shop in the Sabres end for the next seven minutes until the Sabres flew out of the zone. Marcus Johansson and Jeff Skinner executed a perfect give-and-go and Skinner easily deposited his seventh goal of the season past Darcy Kuemper.
Buffalo finished the period strong, but Arizona got one back on a short side, off-angle shot that Carter Hutton would want back. Hutton made 42 saves on the night, and many that were spectacular, so you really can't get on him too badly for that goal.
From that point forward, the Sabres were out-shot 31-15. Jeff Skinner felt there were too many times where they'd get into the offensive zone and get one opportunity and be done.
The Sabres' chances to score were few and far between after that. They had one gorgeous chance in the second period when Kyle Okposo found himself wide open in the slot, but instead of walking in alone, he went to Johan Larsson for the tap in and missed.
Earlier in the second period, the Sabres had the Coyotes hemmed in for over three minutes. It started with Casey Mittelstadt's line and each line had their chance to apply pressure.
Buffalo had a third period power play and Rasmus Dahlin found himself in front, but his shot went over the net.
Buffalo did get the best opportunities in overtime. Both Reinhart and Mittelstadt hit the crossbar and both had Kuemper beaten.
Ralph Krueger felt his team was low on gas. The head coach said, "We had no energy in this game. We hit a bit of a wall today."
The Sabres ended the month losing two of three games. Despite that, they're still first overall with 20 points and are third in the NHL in points percentage at .769.
The team gets Tuesday off and don't have another game until Friday. Krueger said, about the month, "We'll park it, package it and look at the things we did well and use it to solidify some of the good things we need to do in the month of November."
