Sabres wrap: UPL's woes continue as Buffalo loses 7-4 with Rasmus Dahlin out in Philly
A comeback was still possible for the Buffalo Sabres until they made another mistake in the third period Saturday afternoon. Peyton Krebs took a tripping penalty, and Owen Tippett scored a power-play goal to help the Philadelphia Flyers pull away for a 7-4 win in Wells Fargo Center.
A comeback was still possible for the Buffalo Sabres until they made another mistake in the third period Saturday afternoon.
Peyton Krebs took a tripping penalty, and Owen Tippett scored a power-play goal to help the Philadelphia Flyers pull away for a 7-4 win in Wells Fargo Center.
The loss snapped the Sabres' three-game win streak, and they were 6-3 in their previous nine games. They could have escaped last place in the Eastern Conference with a win but sit at 30-36-6. The Flyers (30-36-9) were 2-10-1 in their previous 13 games and improved to 2-0 since firing their coach, John Tortorella.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had another rough outing, as the Sabres' struggles away from Buffalo continued. They are 2-10-1 in their last 13 games on the road. Luukkonen made 25 saves after sitting three straight games. He wasn't the only one at fault. His teammates committed numerous turnovers, spoiling an impressive run that helped them overcome an early 2-0 deficit.
Matvei Michkov led the Flyers with two goals, and Tyson Foerster and Noah Cates chipped in one apiece. Michkov and Foerster scored 29 seconds apart in the first period to give Philadelphia a 2-0 lead only 5:56 into the first period.
The Sabres roared back with three consecutive goals, two from Jack Quinn and one by JJ Peterka. Quinn had three points, and Peterka also had an assist. Quinn's second goal had Buffalo ahead 3-2 with 8:13 left in the second period, but Michkov and Cates scored in a span of 3:36 to give Philadelphia a 4-3 lead entering the third period.
Alex Tuch added a shorthanded goal with 5:55 left in the third period to cut the Sabres' deficit to 6-4, but Michkov completed the hat trick
Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin was scratched, preventing the 2018 first overall draft pick from preventing in his 500th NHL game. They are 0-7-2 with Dahlin injured or ill this season. Josh Norris (middle-body injury), Jordan Greenway (lower body) and Sam Lafferty (groin) were also out, though Jason Zucker returned from the family matter that forced him to miss the game Thursday.
First period
• Flyers winger Tyson Foerster missed the net from the slot 40 seconds into the game, and the Sabres' first shot was a slap shot by Owen Power at 2:47.• Sabres defenseman Owen Power turned the puck over after pinching in the offensive zone, but no one covered for him. Michkov led a 2-on-1 rush and scored with a short-side shot to give Philadelphia a 1-0 lead 5:27 into the first period.
• The Flyers added to their lead when Owen Tippett skated around Jacob Bryson and sent a cross-slot pass to Pelletier, who scored while Luukkonen was out of position to put Philadelphia ahead 2-0 at 5:56 into the game.
Peyton Krebs was in position to prevent the pass, but he did not make a play.
• Peterka won a battle for a puck along the left wall, and he passed to Quinn, who skated to the slot and scored his 12th goal of the season with a low shot that cut Buffalo's deficit to 2-1 at 10:57 into the first period.
• Sabres center Jiri Kulich took a slashing penalty in the offensive zone to give the Flyers a power play with 7:49 left in the first period. Forester took a penalty 58 seconds later to make it 4 on 4 for 62 seconds.
• The Sabres were down 2-1 at the first intermission after the Flyers had a 12-6 edge in shots on goal during the period. Buffalo entered the game with a 4-15-1 record when trailing at the first intermission.
Second period
• The Flyers got a 3-on-2 rush on the second shift of the second period because Byram's misfired breakout pass, but they couldn't connect on a backdoor play.• Peterka tied it 2-2 when he finished a tic-tac-toe passing play with Quinn and Krebs. Krebs carried the puck down the right side and used his backhand to pass to Quinn around the Flyers' defense. Quinn then set up Peterka at the left post for his 23rd goal of the season with 18:19 left in the second period.
• The Sabres took a 3-2 lead on Quinn's second goal of the game during a power play with 11:47 left in the second period. Power and Ryan McLeod had the assists. Buffalo was 1-for-10 on the power play over its previous four games.
• Michkov tied it with his second goal of the game 10:35 into the second period. Zach Benson turned the puck over at the Sabres' offensive blue line, which led to Michkov getting behind Buffalo's defense. The rookie lifted the puck over Luukkonen's shoulder with a backhand shot.
• The Flyers took a 4-3 lead with Cates' goal 14:11 into the second period. Foerster won a battle for the puck in the right corner, and he set up Cates in the slot.
• The Sabres entered the game with a 5-25-1 record when trailing at the second intermission, and they had only 13 shots on goal through 40 minutes Saturday.
Third period
• Luukkonen stopped Jamie Drysdale's wraparound 1:14 into the third period.• Krebs' tripping penalty gave the Flyers a power play with 15:07 left in the third period. Flyers goalie Sam Ersson stopped McLeod during a short-handed 2-on-1 rush with Alex Tuch.
• Tippet's power-play goal made it 5-3 with 13:23 left in the third period.
• Tippett's second goal was during a 3-on-2 rush with 9:47 left in the third period.
Lineup
With Dahlin absent, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff used the following lineup at the start of the game:Zach Benson - Jiri Kulich - Tage Thompson
JJ Peterka - Ryan McLeod - Jack Quinn
Jason Zucker - Peyton Krebs - Alex Tuch
Beck Malenstyn - Tyson Kozak - Isak Rosen
Owen Power - Jacob Bernard-Docker
Bowen Byram - Connor Clifton
Mattias Samuelsson - Jacob Bryson
