Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - When the Sabres played the Pittsburgh Penguins in Buffalo on Jan. 17, it was a very weird hockey game.
Not only did Penguins goalie Alex Nedeljkovic make 40 saves on 42 shots faced, he also had a goal and an assist in a 5-2 win. Buffalo fired 19 shots at Nedeljkovic in the third period, but only scored once. The Sabres left the first period with a 1-0 lead, but by 1:09 of the third period, they had given up four-straight goals and the game was over.
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On Oct. 16 in Pittsburgh, Buffalo left to first period up 3-1. Tristan Jarry was pulled after just 10:32 of work, making two saves on five shots faced. The opponent changing goalies usually is a problem for the Sabres, and this game was no different.
The Penguins scored three-straight goals to take a 4-3 third period lead, but Buffalo perked up. JJ Peterka and Ryan McLeod scored goals 40 seconds apart, and the Sabres had their lead back at 5-4.
They just couldn’t defend a 6-on-5, though, and Rickard Rakell scored with 46 seconds left in regulation. Tage Thompson then took a tripping penalty in overtime, and 37-year-old Sidney Crosby netted the overtime winner.
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Pittsburgh is 25th in the league with a points percentage of .473, while the Sabres - with four wins in six games - are no longer in the cellar of the Eastern Conference with a points percentage of .457. That is 28th in the NHL.
The Philadelphia Flyers, who fired head coach John Tortorella on Thursday, are 29th at .445.
Buffalo and Pittsburgh are teams that give up a lot of goals. The Sabres are 29th in the NHL with a goals-against average of 3.50, while the Penguins are 31st at 3.58.
James Reimer looks like he’s getting his fourth start in five games. In the three before Thursday, he stopped 90-of-98 shots, which is a save percentage of .918.
Thompson is fifth in the NHL with 35 goals, but his goal Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators was his first in six games.
Peterka has points in four-straight games, scoring three goals and four points. He also has seven goals in his last 12 games.
Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said winger Jason Zucker will be out Thursday due to a family matter. Sam Lafferty was at the morning skate, but Ruff didn’t think he’d play. That means forward Josh Dunne likely will go in.
Meanwhile, neither Josh Norris or Jordan Greenway were on the ice for Buffalo.
Jarry has played seven of the last eight games for the Penguins. He’s 12-10-5 this season with a 3.23 goals-against average and an .891 save percentage.
Despite his age, Crosby has not slowed down at all. He’s 11th in league scoring with 25 goals and 54 assists for 79 points in 71 games. Crosby is on an eight-game point streak, scoring six goals and seven assists for 13 points.
Bryan Rust has four goals and six points in his last three games, and five goals and three assists for eight points in his last six.
Pittsburgh is 15-3-3 in their last 21 games in Buffalo.
Join Mike Schopp for pregame coverage on WGR starting at 6 p.m. when you’ll hear from Ruff, Bo Byram and Beck Malenstyn.