Many of the 19,070 people in attendance Saturday night raised their arms, gave out high-fives and embraced as the sellout crowd in KeyBank Center let out a collective roar that rivaled any heard in the building since the Buffalo Sabres last hosted a playoff game in 2011.
Less than 48 hours later, many of the seats were empty. This was a rescheduled game against a struggling opponent. The crowd was quiet – no one could blame them – and the Sabres’ first period Monday night was one of their worst through 38 games this season.
"I thought tonight our guys looked and felt emotionally drained," coach Don Granato said afterward.
The Sabres didn’t have the raw emotion of playing for Buffalo following the deadly blizzard that hit Western New York or returning to the ice after Damar Hamlin collapsed to the field in Cincinnati. They were going to have to outwork the Philadelphia Flyers to create some semblance of home-ice advantage with so few fans in the arena.
People are also reading…
The Sabres looked out of sorts from the outset Monday night. They couldn't recover after allowing three goals in the first period and lost to the Flyers, 4-0.
It was the first time this season that Buffalo was shut out by an opponent. The Sabres (20-16-3) lost for only the second time in 10 games and failed to continue their ascent in the Atlantic Division standings.
"They just had a really difficult time executing things that they execute routinely and simple," said Granato. "We had a group that didn't look like themselves and fought the puck all night. We didn't look fast. We were struggling to move pucks. ... Just one of those very challenging nights and we just couldn't find it."
Craig Anderson wasn’t sharp early, particularly on Joel Farabee’s goal that gave Philadelphia (16-18-7) a 2-0 advantage, and finished with 34 saves. His teammates, meanwhile, had only 28 shots on goal.
This was one of the Sabres’ most disappointing performances of the season, given that their opponent was playing the second game of a back-to-back and owned a negative-22 goal differential entering Monday. Despite the slow start, the Sabres had time and opportunities to mount another comeback.
Alex Tuch looked up to the rafters and shook his head in disbelief after his shot from in close sailed over the net and out of play. The Sabres were trailing 3-0, but finally had possession of the puck for a long stretch in the second period.
Casey Mittelstadt sent a backhanded shot over the net when there was an opening over the left shoulder of rookie goalie Samuel Ersson. Tyson Jost’s attempt from the slot hit Ersson in the gut. They were pressing to score after allowing three goals in 12:52 in the first period.
Finally, the Sabres were winning one-on-one puck battles and using their speed to threaten. It was in stark contrast to the start of the game when they looked slow and couldn’t solve the Flyers’ forecheck. But chasing the game is a recipe for failure in the NHL.
"I think there’s frustration when you don’t start well and then you’re just playing catchup," said Jost. "We wanted to get to our game, and we wanted to find it. ... Stuff just didn’t find the back of the net and that’s going to happen. We’ve got to find ways to be better defensively, and we kind of gave them four goals tonight."
Philadelphia didn't surprise Buffalo with its approach. The Sabres know what to expect from a team coached by John Tortorella.
The Flyers took a 1-0 lead because fourth-line center Patrick Brown beat Sabres defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin to the puck behind Buffalo’s net, then passed in front to winger Zack MacEwen, whose short-side shot went between Anderson’s left arm and the post at 2:04 into the game.
Philadelphia’s second goal wasn’t remarkable, either. The puck bounced over the stick blade of rookie defenseman Owen Power and directly to Farabee. Anderson was unable to stop Farabee’s wrist shot from near the high slot, giving Philadelphia a 2-0 lead at 13:31 into the first period.
Noah Cates then scored on a rebound off a Dylan Cozens turnover to make it 3-0. Cozens gave the puck away in the defensive zone, leading to Travis Konecy skating uncovered down the slot. His ensuing shot created a rebound, and no one on the Sabres could clear it in time.
Only two of the Sabres’ five shots on goal in the first period challenged Ersson. Cozens was stopped on a 2-on-1, and Peyton Krebs couldn’t lift the puck over Ersson’s leg pad during a breakaway when Buffalo was trailing 1-0. Sabres captain Kyle Okposo described it as "probably the worst period" they've played this season.
"We had to work," said Okposo. "You know who their coach is. You know what they’re all about. Use any cliché you want. 'Hard work beats talent if talent doesn’t work.' It’s pretty simple. It’s not that hard to figure it out. I could probably tell you what he said before the game. ‘These guys are ripe and scoring a ton of goals. If we outwork them, we’re going to have our way with them.' And that’s what they did. Disappointing."
Jeff Skinner gave the Sabres some hope early in the third period when he hit the post on a shot from the slot less than a minute in, but the Flyers took a 4-0 lead soon thereafter when Kevin Hayes setup Wade Allison for a tap-in goal. Philadelphia was 0-6 in the second game of back-to-backs entering Monday and its 2.75 goals per game ranked 27th out of 32 teams.
Yet, the Flyers managed to shutout the NHL’s highest-scoring offense and delivered a harsh lesson to the Sabres.
"We didn’t look like ourselves," said Granato. "So many signs. I believe fully that these guys will feel better (Tuesday against Seattle). As unfortunate as it was going through what they did tonight, there isn’t a guy who is happy with their performance tonight and that’s a group of competitive people, so that factor bodes well when you look at (Tuesday)."
Here are other observations from the game:
1. Fitting in
Jost continued to show why he might be in Buffalo beyond this season. The 24-year-old was among the Sabres’ best on the ice Monday by helping his linemates possess the puck and earning scoring chances. His offensive production won’t wow you. He has three goals and eight points in 20 games since joining the Sabres on waivers. However, Jost has been a reliable presence in the bottom six.
2. Finding a way
Jack Quinn and JJ Peterka need to contribute in other ways if they’re not scoring. Quinn and Peterka haven’t scored a goal in 13 and nine games, respectively. Granato expressed confidence in both players and noted how both are handling this difficult stretch well. He must have loved Quinn’s play in the first period to prevent the score from getting even worse.
Quinn charged toward his net on a backcheck to thwart a Flyers odd man rush after Power turned the puck over in the offensive zone. Quinn and Peterka also had a 2-on-1 of their own in the first period that ended with Philadelphia breaking up a cross-ice pass by the latter.
3. Another honor
Rasmus Dahlin's remarkable performance Saturday night in KeyBank Center earned the Sabres' top defenseman another honor from the NHL. The 22-year-old was named the league's third star of the week Monday after he totaled two goals and five points in the Sabres' 6-5 overtime win over the Minnesota Wild. He finished with two goals and six points in two games last week.
Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak and New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes were the first and second stars, respectively.
4. Roster in flux
PA announcer Jay Moran asked for the celebration and he got it. For Hamlin and his family. And for all those first responders and medical professionals who impeccably did their jobs in the toughest of circumstances. The scoreboard and ribbon boards were bathed in Bills blue and all said "Love for Damar."
Forwards Rasmus Asplund and Vinnie Hinostroza are still waiting for an opportunity to return to the lineup. Asplund has been a healthy scratch in 15 of the last 19 games, while Hinostroza hasn’t played in 15 of the last 17. Neither can be assigned to Rochester without waivers. Don’t expect the Sabres to attempt to send one of the two to the Amerks to make room for Henri Jokiharju.
“It’s a challenge to keep yourself ready to go,” Granato said. “But when you look at the big picture of an NHL season, what players in that position have to do is be ready for their opportunity because the opportunity’s going to come. We just can’t tell you exactly which game, which night. But we know in an 82-game season, it’s going to come.”
5. Next
The Sabres host the Seattle Kraken and Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively.
