Final Score: Sabres 3 | Capitals 2 (SO)
Shots: BUF – 26 | WSH – 35
Buffalo Goalscorers: Victor Olofsson, Jack Eichel
Washington Goalscorers: Alex Ovechkin, Dmitry Orlov
Minus 1 – Nearly blew it.
Things actually started off well for the Sabres on Monday night, as they came into the game on a six-game losing stand. Olofsson put Buffalo on the board just 4:53 in, and Eichel snapped his pointless streak with a power-play goal only 53 seconds into the second period.
Things went downhill in the third period, as the Sabres nearly blew the game. Ovechkin (who else!) opened the scoring for the Capitals, picking up the puck off the face-off, deking around Kyle Okposo and beating Rasmus Ristolainen for his 48th goal of the season.
Later in the period, Orlov tied the game, and the hopes of ending the losing streak seemed in peril. The Sabres, however, managed to hang on, and Rasmus Dahlin and Dominik Kahun scored in the shootout to give Buffalo the extra point.
Minus 1 – A weak call.
A pivotal moment of the game came late in the third period. With the game tied at two, the Sabres appeared to take the lead on a goal from Brandon Montour. However, the play was called off and ruled ‘no goal’ on a weak goaltender interference call. Jeff Skinner barely touches Braden Holtby’s stick, and at any rate, is forced into the area by a Caps player.
What exactly is goaltender interference, anyways?
Montour goal waved off #Sabres50 #AllCaps pic.twitter.com/XI4dnZXMzF
— Buffalo Hockey moments (@SabresPlays) March 10, 2020
Plus 1 – Ullmark is back!
Linus Ullmark returned to the lineup on Monday night, and it was good to see him back. He recorded 33 saves in 65 minutes, and allowed just one goal (Kuznetsov) on seven attempts faced in the shootout, stopping players like Ovechkin, Oshie, Kovalchuk and Backstrom.
It was Ullmark’s first game action since January 28, a span of 17 games; he served as Hutton’s backup in Philadelphia on Saturday.
Plus 1 – A losing streak ends.
The Sabres needed this win badly, and so too did Buffalo fans. The Sabres’ last win came on February 23 against the Winnipeg Jets. Since then, they’ve lost to Colorado, Vegas, Arizona, Winnipeg, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Phew!
There’s now only a handful of games left in the season, which continues with a road trip to Montreal to face the Canadiens on Thursday before hosting the Boston Bruins Friday night.