CHICAGO – Rasmus Dahlin leaned against a white, cinderblock wall in a narrow hallway next to the Buffalo Sabres' dressing room late Tuesday night as he tried to comprehend what unfolded on the ice at United Center.
“It was a really tough game, personally,” Dahlin told The Buffalo News moments after the Sabres lost 4-3 in overtime to the NHL’s last-place Chicago Blackhawks, who entered the game with a negative-54 goal differential.
Dahlin couldn’t stomach the fact he was on the ice for the Blackhawks’ three consecutive goals in the third period and overtime, capped by defenseman Seth Jones’ game-winner with 2:36 left on the clock.
Despite firing three shots on Chicago goalie Petr Mrazek, and blocking three attempts by Blackhawks skaters, Dahlin called his performance “not acceptable.” He didn’t think he was sharp enough with or without the puck.
People are also reading…
And there was the 10-minute misconduct penalty that put the Sabres’ best defenseman and skater in the penalty box while the team clung to a one-goal lead in the third period.
Dahlin didn't receive an explanation as he was escorted to the penalty box moments after Philipp Kurashev cut Buffalo’s lead to one by tipping Jones’ wrist shot past goalie Craig Anderson with 18:34 remaining in regulation.
The officials took issue with Dahlin’s decision to skate through the Blackhawks’ goal celebration, eliciting a few shoves to express displeasure that they missed a possible holding-the-stick penalty on Chicago before the goal.
“Yeah, that’s not right on Dahls’ part, period,” said Sabres coach Don Granato. “Simple. I think we all know that. … You don’t put yourself or your team in that position. He knows it. He’ll learn from it. Not a good play.”
Dahlin was forced to watch from the penalty box for 10 minutes as his teammates clung to the 3-2 advantage in front of a loud, boisterous crowd in a building where visiting teams routinely struggled before the Blackhawks’ tank for Connor Bedard began this season.
The Sabres had opportunities to add to their lead with Dahlin in the penalty box but couldn't capitalize. And with him back on the ice, fellow defenseman Mattias Samuelsson hit the post late in regulation. The Blackhawks pulled Mrazek for an extra attacker and Jones’ wrist shot through traffic went past a screened Anderson to tie the score with 55.8 seconds left.
“I left my team behind,” said Dahlin. “Ten minutes in the box when we’re trying to win, it didn’t feel good. I don’t want to be in that situation. I feel like I let the team down there, and it’s not going to happen again.”
Dahlin almost won the game for the Sabres in overtime when he drove to the net with the puck, and Casey Mittelstadt’s shot during a 2-on-1 led to a rush that Jones finished with the game-winner.
The Sabres (21-19-3) have lost six of their last nine to fail to gain ground in the Atlantic Division standings. Anderson made 22 saves, while Mrazek stopped each of the 10 shots he faced in the third period. Victor Olofsson, Tage Thompson and Peyton Krebs had a goal apiece for Buffalo, which finished with a 33-26 edge in shots on goal.
This was another disjointed effort by the Sabres. For 40 minutes, the Blackhawks looked like the worst team in the league by a wide margin, yet they were ahead 1-0 early because of another ugly start for Buffalo.
Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy snuck behind the Sabres’ coverage and unleashed a quick wrist shot that beat Anderson at the far post for a 1-0 lead only 8:41 into the game.
Turnovers were costing the Sabres time in the offensive zone until Mittelstadt Tyson Jost and illustrated how Buffalo needed to play. Mittelstadt won a puck battle to gain possession and Jost drove to the net, where he forced the puck into the crease for Olofsson to hammer it past goalie Mrazek with 7:45 left in the first period.
There were still too many mistakes by Buffalo’s forwards and defensemen. Jonathan Toews missed the net on a 2-on-1 that could have turned into the go-ahead goal for Chicago. The Sabres’ top line came through when they were needed. Jeff Skinner laced a cross-ice pass to Thompson, who stickhandled around Jones and tucked the puck across the goal line for his 32nd goal of the season to give Buffalo a 2-1 lead with 6.9 seconds remaining in the first period.
Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons had a 2-on-1 moments into the second period because of a breakout pass by Henri Jokiharju, and the club failed to score on a power play early in the middle frame. But their onslaught of scoring chances ended when Krebs picked up a turnover by Max Domi and scored on a shorthanded breakaway to make it 3-1 with 13:39 until the second intermission.
Kurashev answered 1:34 into the third by tipping Jones’ shot, leading Dahlin to confront the officials about a call he thought was missed. He was still in the penalty box when the Sabres had a power play later in the period with an opportunity to regain a two-goal lead.
“If I could have done it (differently), not as close to where they were cheering,” said Dahlin, referring to the scrum with the Blackhawks celebrating on the ice. “I don’t know. I honestly don’t know why I got the 10. I was asking him why I got it.”
Dahlin was in the slot when Tyler Johnson screened Anderson on the tying goal and couldn’t cut off the 2-on-1 pass that led to the overtime winner. The Blackhawks had 65.52% of the 5-on-5 shot attempts (19-10) when Dahlin was on the ice Tuesday night.
One game doesn’t change the fact that Dahlin’s having a superstar-caliber season. Four-plus years since his selection first overall at the 2018 draft, Dahlin has 13 goals and 48 points in 42 games. He’s routinely matched up against the opponent’s top players and shoulders an immense workload for Buffalo. His turnover on the game-winning goal last week against Winnipeg was his first notable poor play with the puck all season.
But Dahlin knows expectations are high now. His teammates count on him to be at his best with the game on the lineup. On Tuesday, he didn’t think he delivered.
“We’ve been having a tough stretch here,” he said. “Mentally, I wasn’t there. I can’t talk about the team, but I can only put blame on myself. I have to look myself in the mirror. I have to play better. That was not acceptable.”
Here are other observations from the game:
1. Controversy
Anderson immediately called out goalie interference when officials signaled that Johnson successfully tipped the puck in to tie the score in the final minute of regulation. Johnson’s left foot was in the crease and his elbow struck Anderson’s glove, according to the Sabres’ goalie.
The NHL’s Situation Room reviewed the play but confirmed the call on the ice, sending the game to overtime.
“I’m just confused,” said Anderson. “That’s all. There’s no explanation. You don’t get anything. At the end of the day, you don’t have control over it so you can’t waste your energy.”
Anderson was sharp playing near his hometown of Park Ridge, Illi., a suburb of Chicago. He made a few key stops in the first 40 minutes when his teammates were struggling to string strong shifts together, particularly his save on Taylor Raddysh after a turnover in Buffalo’s defensive zone.
In the end, the Sabres couldn’t convert on their opportunities.
“There was enough in that game, scoring-chance wise, a couple goal posts in the third period, so it’s not like we sat back in the third period by any means, but we didn’t bear down on our chances,” said Granato. “We just didn’t’ bear down and allowed that game to remain close.”
2. Chipping in
Krebs isn’t shooting the puck often enough – many young centers are pass-first – but he’s been playing too well recently to not be rewarded with a goal. His time arrived in the second period Tuesday when the 21-year-old collected the puck after a turnover by Domi and beat Mrazek with a backhander for his fourth goal in 37 games this season.
Krebs was among the Sabres' best forwards Tuesday night and won 63% of his faceoffs in 15 minutes of ice time.
The Sabres’ six shorthanded goals have matched their total from all of last season.
3. Making progress
Olofsson deserves credit for what he’s given the Sabres at even strength. Despite some difficult stretches in his fourth full NHL season, Olofsson has totaled 18 goals through 43 games. Fourteen of those have been at even strength, a new career high, and the coaching staff must be encouraged by how he scored his latest. Rather than a shot from the perimeter, Olofsson was parked in front of the net to capitalize on Jost’s heady play.
4. Asplund sits again
The Sabres are actively trying to find winger Vinnie Hinostroza a new team with the 28-year-old back to being a healthy scratch. A trade isn’t imminent, but the writing is on the wall. His likely departure, combined with the exit of veteran forward Riley Sheahan earlier this season, places a greater importance on Rasmus Asplund’s progress in the coming weeks.
Asplund, 25, was outstanding defensively last season, but he hasn’t looked as sharp during his 25 appearances with Buffalo in 2022-23. The Sabres’ only NHL-ready options in Rochester are Anders Bjork, Linus Weissbach, Brett Murray and Brandon Biro. They’re going to need Asplund to play important minutes in the second half of the season. He’s a skilled depth forward with a scoring touch, as illustrated by his six goals in eight games at the IIHF World Championship this spring. Consistency will be the key for Asplund. There have been flashes of the player we saw last season.
5. Next
The Sabres host the New York Islanders or Ryan Miller Night on Thursday at 7: 30 p.m. Fans were instructed to be in their seats in time for the pregame ceremony at 5:50 p.m., and the doors open at 4:30 p.m.
