Alex Ovechkin got the party started just 19 seconds in to the first period, and the Capitals kept things going strong in the second period as they ultimately downed the Sabres 5-3.
Cody Hodgson scored twice for the Sabres, bringing his total up to 12 on the season (just two behind Thomas Vanek) but it wasn’t enough for the Sabres to avoid losing their fifth straight road game.
Aside from Hodgon’s two-goal performance, the game was also noticeable for the NHL debut of defenseman Mark Pysyk. The highly touted defensive prospect played a very solid game in limited minutes, and though he was on the ice for the final Capitals goal, he went largely unnoticed in the game, a good thing for any defenseman.
Brian Flynn also scored for Buffalo, but when it came after three second period Capitals goals, it still left the Sabres down by two. The second period has been Buffalo’s Achilles Heel all season, as it seemingly has been for the past few seasons. Putting a full sixty minutes together has been an impossible task at times for this team, and it’s especially tough coming on the wrong end of a back-to-back, as Ryan Miller noted:
“We knew we had to be ready, and with a back-to-back we had to be smart, and we ended up running around a bit in the second period again,” Miller said. “It’s frustrating for sure and everybody’s got to be better — myself included.”
There was an interesting tidbit after the game that came from Patrick Kaleta – but not from anything he did on the ice, it came from his being a healthy scratch. This was Kaleta’s first eligible game after serving his five game suspension, and he spent it in the press box. Here’s what he had to say about it,
“I’m pissed off. I want to play,” Kaleta said. “And especially after watching some things, sitting there watching the game, I want to play. … I guess they don’t need me right now I guess. I’ve been pissed off watching for the past couple weeks. No matter if you’re a fan, a player, you guys know what’s going on. You should be pissed off. You should play with a little piss and vinegar. You shouldn’t be happy. We’re not in position we want to be in. We have to work harder, come in and do something about it.”
After the game, Miller chastised Kaleta for whining to the media, saying he “just has to grow up”. Anybody out there have their own thoughts on Patty’s rant, Pysyk’s debut, or Hodgson’s performance?