Sabres wrap: Zach Benson's late goal not enough as Penguins win 5-2
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen wasn't able to bail out the Sabres when they began to make mistakes in the second period. Their starting goalie was outplayed by Penguins backup Alex Nedeljkovic, as Pittsburgh scored four consecutive goals and held on for a 5-2 win in KeyBank Center.
Owen Power's power-play goal Friday night punctuated an impressive first period for the Sabres.
They were faster than the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Sabres weren't perfect defensively, but they allowed only six shots on goal in the first 20 minutes of regulation.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen wasn't able to bail out the Sabres when they began to make mistakes in the second period. Their starting goalie was outplayed by Penguins backup Alex Nedeljkovic, as Pittsburgh scored four consecutive goals and held on for a 5-2 win in KeyBank Center.
Rickard Rakell, Anthony Beauvillier, Cody Glass and Bryan Rust also scored a goal apiece as the Sabres (17-23-5) were unable to win a second game in a row. They are 6-4-1 in 11 games since their month-long winless streak ended Dec. 23.
Buffalo Sabres right winger Alex Tuch (89) brings the puck up ice against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period of an
NHL game at the KeyBank Center on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News) Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News
Zach Benson scored with 4:44 left in regulation to trim the deficit to 4-2, but Nedeljkovic scored on a 200-foot shot for a goalie empty-net goal.
Buffalo's penalty kill was an abysmal 1 for 4 while its power play went 1 for 5. Power's goal 15:16 into the first period had the Penguins reeling. They were making uncharacteristic mistakes and spending little time in the offensive zone until late in the period when a turnover gave them an easy, long possession. But Luukkonen stopped only 14 shots while his counterpart, Nedeljkovic, stopped 38.
The Penguins (19-20-8) dropped seven of their previous eight games, and they were at the beginning of a seven-game road trip.
First period
• The Sabres had consecutive shifts in the Penguins' offensive zone, capped by Tage Thompson's wrist shot through traffic that Alex Nedeljkovic snared with his glove.• Penguins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk's snapshot from the point leaked through Luukkonen and hit the post, then the Sabres goalie used his blocker to stop Bryan Rust's shot from the slot.
• Jack Quinn turned the puck over at the Sabres' offensive blue line and slashed Evgeni Malkin to put the Penguins on the power play 10:51 into the first period. Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson helped Buffalo clear its zone before Malkin accidentally whacked Beck Malnestyn in the face with his stick.
Malkin was given a double-minor high-sticking penalty, which put the Sabres on the power play for almost three-and-a-half minutes.
• Buffalo's top power-play unit did not get a shot on goal because of multiple turnovers, but its second group took advantage with Power scoring on a wrist shot from the slot to give the Sabres a 1-0 lead 15:16 into the first period. It was Power's first power-play point of the season, and Bowen Byram and Zach Benson assisted on the goal.
• Dylan Cozens caused a turnover at the red line before Alex Tuch's helped JJ Peterka get behind the Penguins' defense, but the Sabres winger was stopped to keep the score 1-0.
• Samuelsson misfired a breakout pass to a Penguins player, which led to Pittsburgh's long shift in the offensive zone that forced Luukkonen to fend off Malkin's line.
• The Sabres scored first for the 28th time in 45 games, and they led at the first intermission for the 23rd time this season. They outshot the Penguins, 10-7, in the first period and both teams had two high-danger scoring chances at 5-on-5, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Second period
• Rasmus Dahlin's high-sticking penalty 31 seconds into the second period gave the Penguins their second power play of the game.• Rakell needed 1:37 to tie it 1-1 on a one-timer from the right circle. His 23rd goal of the season was assisted by Rust and Grzelcyk.
• The Penguins took a 2-1 lead only 27 seconds later as Beauvillier got behind Henri Jokiharju and scored on a partial breakaway.
• Sabres rookie center Tyson Kozak missed the net on a one-timer from the slot with 13 minutes to play in the second period. Thompson led a 2-on-1 rush as a Penguins player raced back to try to thwart the odd-man situation, but Thompson's shot from the right circle was stopped.
• Jokiharju extended his left leg to trip Malkin as the Penguins center tried to cut across the Sabres' crease, giving Pittsburg another power play 9:50 into the second period.
• Glass extended the Penguins' lead to 3-1 by converting on a slot from the slot on the power play. The Sabres' penalty kill converged on Philip Tomasino as the winger skated to the right post, leaving the slot open for Glass and causing Luukkonen to get caught too deep in his crease.
• The Sabres' third power play of the game began 12:07 into the second period when P.O. Joseph was called for slashing. Thompson's shot from the slot was steered away by Nedeljkovic and Cozens hit the near post on a one-timer from the left circle, but Buffalo couldn't capitalize.
• Luukkonen was hit in the head and shaken up when Malkin cut across the crease with 1:25 left in the second period. Malkin was called for a goalie interference penalty, and Luukkonen stayed in the game after head athletic trainer Rich Stinziano came out to check on him.
• The Sabres' power play ended when Thompson took an interference penalty on a failed offensive-zone entry. They outshot the Penguins 13-10 in the second period but got outscored 3-0.
Third period
• Rust added to the Penguins' lead with a shot from the left circle that went over Luukkonen's glove to make it 4-1 with 18:51 left in the third period.• The Sabres couldn't take advantage of Owen Pickering's delay-of-game penalty or their two high-danger scoring chances through the first half of the third period.
• Hayes hit the post on a backhand shot during a partial breakaway with 5:51 left in the third period.
• Sabres coach Lindy Ruff pulled Luukkonen for an extra attacker with under six minutes to play, and it worked. Benson crashed the net and finished Thompson's pass to cut the deficit to 4-2 with 5:44 left in the third period.
Lineup
Jiri Kulich was held out of the Sabres' lineup as the center works his way back from a lower-body injury that's kept him out for three games. Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Jacob Bryson and Dennis Gilbert were healthy scratches.Sabres winger Jordan Greenway will continue to skate on his own for a few weeks, according to Ruff. The team will monitor Greenway's progress before it establishes a timeline for his return. Greenway has missed 24 of the past 28 games.
