Sabres wrap: JJ Peterka's shootout goal snaps skids and sends Buffalo to 4-3 win
JJ Peterka scored in the fourth shootout round Monday night at KeyBank Center to send the Buffalo Sabres to a 4-3 win over the Washington Capitals.
JJ Peterka scored in the fourth shootout round Monday night at KeyBank Center to send the Buffalo Sabres to a 4-3 win over the Washington Capitals.
Peterka's game-winner happened after Alex Tuch scored in the third round to extend the shootout. The Sabres had multiple chances to win in overtime, but Capitals goalie Charlie Lindgren stopped Tage Thompson's shot from the right circle and Jason Zucker's breakaway.
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power (25) moves the puck in the first period of their NHL hockey game against the
Washington Capitals at KeyBank Center on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. Joed Viera/Buffalo News
Buffalo (15-21-5) snapped its three-game winless streak and improved to 4-2-1 in their last seven games.
The Capitals rallied to tie the score three times to force overtime, capped by Aliaksei Protas' goal late in the third period.
Thompson's power-play goal at the 12:49 mark of the second period gave the Sabres a 3-2 lead entering the intermission and final 20 minutes of regulation. They were ahead until Protas deflected the puck over Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's shoulder to tie it with 4:13 left in regulation.
The Sabres scored the first goal for the 24th time in 41 games when JJ Peterka used a low shot from the right circle to give them a 1-0 lead 4:42 into the game. Peterka was originally credited with the goal, but it was awarded to Tuch hours after the game. Peterka had two assists and skated a career-high 23:37.
The first of Tom Wilson's two goals tied it 1-1, as the Capitals power forward snapped a one-timer from the slot past Luukkonen during a power play with 13:50 left in the first period.
Tuch put the Sabres ahead again with a breakaway goal only 67 seconds into the second period, but Wilson tied it again by jamming a rebound by Luukkonen, who made 25 saves in regulation and overtime. He stopped Jacub Chychrun in the fourth round of the shootout to clinch the win for Buffalo.
First period
• It took the Sabres' power play only 62 seconds to get their first opportunity of the game, as Protas was called for holding Dylan Cozens' stick.• Tage Thompson's one-timer from the left circle missed the net and cleared the Sabres' top power-play unit out of the offensive zone, but they managed to re-enter and Peterka challenged Lindgren with a snapshot from the right circle.
Connor McMichael broke his stick during the final moments of the Capitals' penalty kill, but he and his teammates managed to prevent Thompson from stickhandling through the slot as Protas' penalty expired.
• Peterka gave the Sabres a 1-0 lead when he collected a pass from Alex Tuch and scored on a low shot from the right circle with 15:22 left in the first period. The goal was Peterka's 11th of the season, on pace for six fewer goals than last season.
• The Sabres were cycling the puck in the offensive zone when Nicolas Aube-Kubel high-sticked Protas in the corner with 13:50 remaining in the first period.
• Wilson took advantage of the power play with a one-timer from the slot to tie it 1-1 at 6:10 of the first period. The Sabres' penalty kill was 11-for-11 in 4-on-5 shorthanded situations entering the game, but three of their players converged to the right wall and Luukkonen didn't get set properly to stop the shot.
• Luukkonen made consecutive impressive saves after the power-play goal, stopping Rasmus Sandin's backhander and bailing out the Sabres after Dylan Cozens' turnover in the defensive zone.
• Peterka had five shots on goal in the first period, equaling his output from the Sabres' previous three games. His shot from the right circle during a rush went off Lindgren's glove with five minutes remaining.
• Owen Power's shot from the slot was stopped by Lindgren with 24.3 seconds left in the first period. The Sabres outshot the Capitals 9-6 in the first period.
Second period
• Tuch stripped Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun of the puck and scored on a breakaway to put the Sabres ahead 2-1 only 1:07 into the second period.• Thompson tried to stickhandle around Lindgren to score 5:45 into the middle frame, but the Capitals swarmed the Sabres center and none of his teammates could jam the puck over the goal line.
• Jiri Kulich's one-timer below the right faceoff dot forced Lindgren to make a save, then Thompson was pushed into the Capitals' goalie to cause an ugly collision.
• Wilson tied the score 2-2 when he deposited a rebound past Luukkonen with 8:31 left in the second period. Mattias Samuelsson did not tie up Wilson's stick before the Capitals winger got to the puck.
• Capitals center Dylan Strome tackled Peyton Krebs in response to the Sabres forward's clean, open-ice hit on defenseman John Carlson. Strome was given a two-minute minor penalty for roughing.
• The Sabres took advantage of the power play with Thompson scoring his 19th goal for the season to put Buffalo ahead 3-2 with 7:11 left in the second period.
Third period
• Thompson was penalized for tripping Dowd only 1:01 into the third period, giving the Capitals their second power play of the game. Luukkonen stopped Carlson's slap shot during the power play and Zach Benson was among the Sabres to help them clear the zone.• Luukkonen made a pad save on Alex Ovechkin moments before Strome took a boarding penalty in the offensive zone with 13:56 left in regulation. Lindgren scrambled to his right to stop Thompson's one-timer from the left circle before the Capitals cleared the puck and killed the rest of Strome's penalty.
• Brandon Duhaime got back to disrupt a 2-on-1 for the Sabres involving Peterka and Tuch.
• Protas tied the score by parking in front of the Sabres' net and deflecting Carlson's pass over Luukkonen with 4:13 left in regulation.
