Score: Buffalo Sabres 4 | Carolina Hurricanes 2
Shots: BUF 24 | CAR 37
Buffalo Sabres Goals: Ryan McLeod (8,9, 10-EN, AWD), Dylan Cozens (10)
Carolina Hurricanes Goals: Jaccob Slavin (3), Martin Necas (16)
Plus 1: A Decent Start
Going into Wednesday’s game, you knew it wasn’t going to be an easy one – so it was an early relief when Ryan McLeod opened the scoring just 43 seconds in. While the Sabres aren’t great at playing with a lead (something to work on, for sure), it’s certainly better than starting off on the wrong foot.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen looked great in net as a whole and really was a critical piece in keeping the Sabres in it. Buffalo was outshot 18-13 in the second period, but more importantly, Dylan Cozens made it a 2-0 game. McLeod topped it off when he scored in the dying seconds of the period to make it a three-goal deficit.
Minus 1: Third Period – Zero Shots…
The Sabres managed to pull an impressive feat on Wednesday night. They recorded zero shots on goal in the third period, but scored once. Safe to say that doesn’t happen very often, but that’s exactly what did.
Strike that. Per the NHL on TNT’s Chris Jast, the Sabres are the *first* team to accomplish that feat since data became available in the 1965-66 season.
Yeah.
Buffalo went the entire third period without recording a single shot on goal, which is… terrible. It’s definitely not a way to win hockey games, and speaks to the team’s record of blown leads. (Did you know the Sabres are second in the NHL in blown leads? Thanks, TNT broadcast, for that tidbit of information.) This time, thankfully, they didn’t entirely blow the lead and managed to stay on top, coming out victorious. A huge piece of that goes to Luukkonen, but man, that just cannot happen (again).
Plus 1: … But One Goal
Ryan McLeod’s awarded empty-net goal put the icing on the cake with 24 seconds left in regulation. Tage Thompson shot the puck toward the net and it rang out off the post. McLeod went after it to go for the empty net, which would have definitely been a goal given his proximity, but his stick was slashed and the net knocked off before he actually had a chance to score. McLeod was initially awarded the goal – completing his first career hat trick in the process – but after the game, it was changed and awarded to Thompson. Then changed back to McLeod, then back to Thompson… then back to McLeod. What a way to get your first hat trick!
(In my opinion, this is the right call. WGR’s Brian Koziol said McLeod said he wasn’t sure if he got his stick on it or not. However, either way, it was McLeod who would’ve scored, had Burns not slashed him. Although Thompson may have been the last one to touch it (if McLeod indeed didn’t), it was very clearly McLeod’s goal to score.)
Final Thoughts
Man, that third period was rough. Between the Sabres not getting a shot on goal, and then the Canes scoring twice, it really felt like the game was falling apart on them. When they pulled Tokarski with over three minutes left, it felt like the defining moment of the game – and then Carolina scored. Suffice to say, it was a big relief when McLeod finally got the empty-netter and seemingly sealed the game. The bar is literally on the floor, but hey, the Sabres didn’t completely embarass themselves on national TV!
I’ll say it once more, big props to Luukkonen. Some of the Canes’ best players this season were their best this night, including Brent Burns, who recorded a whopping eight shots on goal. Shayne Gostisbehere and Sebastian Aho each recorded five shots on goal. And yet none of those three scored. (Aho is the Canes’ second-leading pointscorer, with 44 on the season.)
The Sabres’ next game is Friday, January 17 at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins. They’ll then head out on a four-game West Coast road trip to Seattle, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton before finishing the month with a pair of games in Buffalo.