The Buffalo Sabres welcomed the Colorado Avalanche to the First Niagara Center for the only time in the 2014-15 NHL season.
Unfortunately for the Sabres, things would end up with a less than desirable result. Colorado would get off to a quick start, only 2:23 into the game, with Erik Johnson’s 7th goal of the season.
Buffalo would have their chances to tie things up on the power play a handful of minutes later, but things did not end up working out for the Sabres.
Cody McLeod would receive a pass from Ryan O’Reilly, and would end up getting the puck passed Jhonas Enroth. For McLeod, it would be his 2nd goal of the season and it would put the Avalanche up 2-0 at 7:07 of the first.
Things would remain quiet through the remainder of the first period and throughout the duration of the second period. Unfortunately, the same could not be said about the third.
Colorado would tally their third goal of the game, at 1:51 of the third, when Alex Tanguay put home his 10th goal of the season. The Avalanche would continue to pour on the goals, as they tallied their 4th goal less than four minutes later.
John Mitchell notched Colorado’s 4th goal, on the power play, and the rout was on.
Buffalo would try to mount a comeback, but clearly was too little too late. At 13:27 of the third period, recently recalled forward Johan Larsson was able to put home his first goal of his NHL career.
Larsson had arrived for this game in Buffalo less than 5 minutes before the opening faceoff. An illness to Matt Moulson necessitated Larsson’s recall.
The Sabres could not maintain momentum following Larsson’s goal.
With a little over 25 seconds left in the game, the Avalanche would lock this one up with an empty net goal. Tanguay’s 2nd of the game, and 11th of the year, would make things 5-1.
With this loss, the Sabres now have lost back-to-back games by a 5-1 margin. The Sabres play again Sunday night against the Boston Bruins at the TD Garden. Puck drops shortly after 7 PM, and the game will be broadcast on MSG.