| Buffalo Sabres vs Seattle Kraken | ||||
| Team | P1 | P2 | P3 | Total |
 Buffalo Sabres | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
 Seattle Kraken | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| Current Status: Final | ||||
Score: Kraken 5 | Sabres 2
Shots: SEA 26 | BUF 38
Buffalo Sabres Goals: Jeff Skinner (17), Alex Tuch (11)
Seattle Kraken Goals: Yanni Gourde (7), Vince Dunn (8), Alex Wennberg (6), Jaden Schwartz (9), Matty Beniers (6)
Minus 1: Miscues and Mistakes
The Kraken feasted on the Sabres’ mistakes in this one. Each of their 5 goals can be traced to a turnover or miscue that led to a Seattle tally. Midway through the 1st, a lack of communication between Peyton Krebs and Zach Benson caused a turnover in the high slot and resulted in a goal a few seconds later. The 2nd goal was a power play marker made possible by a blocked Henri Jokiharju point shot and the penalty taken on the ensuing breakaway.
The next three against were all neutral zone miscues in the 2nd period. Rasmus Dahlin pinched without support, Jokiharju swatted the puck cross ice to a streaking Seattle forward, and Owen Power flipped it to the Seattle defense to relieve some pressure. For the exception of the power play goal, each mistake was followed by a Seattle score within 5-10 seconds. The Seattle counterattack become too much for Buffalo to overcome.
Minus 2: Lack of Finish
The Sabres significantly outshot the Kraken, but they were ineffective at turning their chances into goals. While Seattle capitalized, Buffalo couldn’t get past Joey Daccord. Before Seattle scored on their lone power play chance, Alex Tuch had a shorthanded breakaway chance. Daccord made the save, and Seattle went on to score shortly after. This basically summarizes the night. The Kraken received timely saves against dangerous chances while the Sabres did not. It’s nice to see the offense work, but close doesn’t cut it in this league.
Plus 1: Change at the Top
Early in the first period, Casey Mittelstadt replaced Tage Thompson on the top line with Alex Tuch and Jeff Skinner. This produced immediate results with Skinner scoring within the first 5 minutes of the game. Tuch would add another marker at the start of the second. Granato didn’t like Thompson’s first shift of the night, so he made the change. Although secondary scoring failed this game, the primary scorers did their job. It will be interesting to see if Granato switches the lines back at practice or lets Mittelstadt remain with Tuch and Skinner. Based on results, Mittelstadt should get an extended look on the top line.
Final Thoughts
This was a frustrating game. The Sabres’ offense played well, controlled play, and generated chances. Unfortunately, this isn’t horseshoes, so close doesn’t matter. Daccord came up with huge saves and Devon Levi didn’t. Buffalo was careless with the puck at times and Seattle’s counterattack was ruthless. Overall, the Sabres played well and gave a good home effort. However, they dug themselves too big of a hole in the first half of the season for moral victories. Their slim margin for error grew smaller after this loss.
Next, the Sabres host the Ottawa Senators tomorrow night at KeyBank Center. Puck drop is at 7:00 p.m.
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