Pittsburgh, Pa. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - Good teams don’t lose games like Wednesday night in Pittsburgh.
Yes, Buffalo did get a point out of a 6-5 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, but the Sabres insisted they need to get off to a fast start this season. It has now translated into four losses in five games.
It was Tage Thompson and Jordan Greenway helping the Sabres get out to a quick 2-0 lead within the first few minutes of action.
We know the Penguins storm the net and have guys all around the crease, and Bryan Rust’s power play goal was just that. The thing was, the Sabres got that goal back just 32 seconds later when Bo Byram found JJ Peterka off a 2-on-1 rush.
Buffalo stormed out to a 3-1 first period lead, chasing starting goalie Tristan Jarry after just 11:33 of game action. Jarry gave up three goals on five shots faced.
In the second period, the Sabres' puck management was horrendous. Buffalo had a 4-on-3 power play, and Dylan Cozens had a very bad turnover that eventually led to the Penguins scoring on a 2-on-1 shorthanded rush.
Then Jack Quinn had a careless turnover, and Jesse Puljujarvi converted his scoring chance in front of Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
Buffalo could’ve used a big save from Luukkonen along the way, but got very few in this contest.
Owen Power blindly threw a puck up the wall in the third period that Evgeni Malkin picked off, and then went hard to the net to score his 500th career NHL goal.
The Sabres could’ve laid down right there. Joel Blomqvist came in for Jarry and stopped three breakaways, as well as a 2-on-1, keeping the Penguins in this game.
Buffalo didn’t quit, though.
Peterka tied the game at 4-4 with his second of the night, and then just 40 seconds later, Ryan McLeod scored his first goal with the Sabres from the top of the faceoff circle to give Buffalo a 5-4 lead with 9:04 left.
Good teams defend well and close out games like this, but with the goaltender pulled, the Sabres never got the puck. And when Luukkonen couldn’t handle a Malkin shot, both Rickard Rakell and Rust were right in the crease to tie the game at 5-5.
That goal came with just 46 seconds left in regulation time.
In overtime, Thompson took a penalty and Sidney Crosby ended it on the power play.
Crosby and Malkin always kill the Sabres, and Wednesday was no different. Makin had a goal and three assists for four points, while Crosby had a goal and two assists for three points.
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Defensively, the Sabres were too weak to handle the Penguins inside, and it cost them a chance to win. You can’t win giving up two power play goals (almost a third), a shorthanded goal, rarely get a big save and turn the puck over on a regular basis.
Bottom line, this team started very well and then let the Penguins play their game. This is a game where you have to win, and win it in regulation. There’s no excuse for losing that game. It was there for them twice, and they couldn’t finish it.
If the Sabres have ideas of making the playoffs, you can’t hand two points to the Penguins when they should’ve had none.