Score: Sabres 4 | Capitals 2
Shots: BUF 24 – WSH 17
Buffalo Sabres Goals: Zach Benson (10), Alex Tuch (22), Jack Quinn (8), Dylan Cozens (16)
Washington Capitals Goals: Connor McMichael (18), Tom Wilson (18)
Plus 1: Scoring first & always leading
The Sabres have given up a lot of first goals this season, and it’s always nice to see them actually get on the board first. Zach Benson now has 10 goals on the season, and Buffalo didn’t sit back after that one, either. They never trailed in Thursday’s game and finished the home slate of their schedule with a win, which was a nice gift for the 15,454 fans in attendance.
Plus 1: Playing the spoiler.
It’s unfortunate that the Sabres’ playoff hopes are gone now, but the best they could hope for out of Thursday’s game was a win to help play spoiler. The Capitals are still in the playoff hunt, but with just a few games left, it’s a super tight race. Thursday’s loss leaves them still one point out of the final wild card spot.
Final Thoughts
The other thing that the Sabres did a good job of in this game was staying out of the penalty box. Generally, this was a very light game, with no penalties called on either side through the first two periods. Even then, there was only one minor called – a tripping infraction on Wilson 16 seconds in. The other penalties all came at the close of the game, amid the fights that broke out at the final buzzer.
This game was a moral victory as well as an actual victory. The win didn’t really do anything to help Buffalo in the standings themselves, but it did hurt Washington. It was also nice to give the home crowd, who stuck around and came to the game despite it essentially being meaningless, something to be happy about. The next NHL game at KeyBank Center is now about five and a half months away, but the Sabres have two more games on their schedule before the season ends. It’s now time for a trip to Florida, as they’ll face the Panthers at 5 p.m. on Saturday and the Lightning at 7 p.m. on Monday to close this one out.
Then, the real fun – the offseason – begins.