Shots: VGK 29 | BUF 28
Buffalo Sabres Goals:
- Zucker (McLeod, Dahlin)
- Power (Ostlund)
- Thompson (Tuch, Dahlin)
Vegas Golden Knights Goals:
- Barbashev (Theodore, Eichel)
- Dorofeyev (Smith)
Final Thoughts
The Sabres have collected their 4th straight win after defeating the Golden Knights on home ice. The pre-game ceremony to honor the gold medal winners clearly got Buffalo ready for this one.
They dominated early and secured a 3-goal lead in the early part of the 2nd period. Gold medalist Tage Thompson’s 2nd period snipe extended his point streak to 8 games and ended up being the game winner.
Rasmus Dahlin’s two assists gave him his second straight multi-point game. A two-minute lull in the 2nd flipped the momentum to the Golden Knights. A wraparound goal and breakaway got the Knights right back in the game.
Goalie Alex Lyon locked in after that and kept the equalizer out of the net. Although not their cleanest game, the Sabres did well locking down defensively in the last few minutes. Notably, empty net connoisseur Payton Krebs made some great moves with the puck just outside his blue line to kill time and the Knight’s forward progress.
This is a game Buffalo would have found a way to let slip away in years prior. This team has clearly learned what it takes to hold on to leads. This bodes well for their lead in the playoff race.