The Buffalo Sabres welcomed one of the top teams in the NHL in the Nashville Predators to KeyBank Center. It may not have gone their way on the scoreboard, but the Sabres held their own tonight.
Both clubs had their opportunities in the first period, but neither was able to get one into the back of the net. Jack Eichel had the play of the period by picking up the puck in his own end of the ice and blowing by PK Subban to get in on Pekka Rinne for a scoring chance.
Eichel rockets past Subban đź‘€ pic.twitter.com/hyESuOrJc8
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) March 19, 2018
The Sabres outshot the Predators 13-10 in the opening 20 minutes.
Nashville opened the scoring in the second period. Miikka Salomaki let a wrist shot go from the point that was deflected in by Mike Fisher. The Sabres challenged for goalie interference as it looked like Fisher slightly bumped into Linus Ullmark. After review, the goal would stand.
Less than five minutes later Ryan Johansen increased the Predators lead. He picked up a rebound from a scramble in front of Ullmark.
The Sabres again had their chances in the second, but the story of the night was their inability to get one by Rinne.
Buffalo started the third with a power play and Kyle Okposo rang one off the post early in the period. Sam Reinhart would have another chance right in front of the Predators goalie, but couldn’t capitalize.
Filip Forsberg put the game away late in the period by putting a rebound off a Victor Arvidsson shot into a wide open cage. Then for good measure, Ryan Hartman made it 4-0 with a nice shot with 23 seconds remaining.
The score doesn’t indicate how close the game actually was. The Sabres played a pretty decent game against a good hockey club.
Final: Predators 4, Sabres 0
Shots on Goal: Predators 32 | Sabres 35
Sabres Goal Scorers: None
Predators Goal Scorers: Fisher (2), Johansen (12), Forsberg (21) and Hartman (11)
Three Stars of the Game
1. Pekka Rinne (35 saves, SO)
2. Filip  Forsberg (1 G, 1 A)
3. Victor Arvidsson (2 A)
Comment of the Game
This game is fun.
I don’t really mind whether they win or lose.
Ullmark is playing out of his face.
95-71-13 are absolutely electric.
45 looks great. 6, 41, 8 are all looking real good too.
I only regret, that I have but one rec to give
Posted  by B.Chalks  on Mar 19, 2018 | 8:19 PM reply  rec (1)  flag