The Buffalo Sabres gave up three goals in each of the last two periods and fell to the Chicago Blackhawks by a 7-3 score on Friday night at KeyBank Center. It was a sour start to the team’s seven-game homestand.
Patrick Kane continued his torrid stretch with a four-point night in his hometown. In his last 18 games, Kane has 18 goals and 22 assists.
” We have to make it harder on the other team. When we have possession we can’t give it back to them. We have to value it and make it harder on them. I don’t think we are making it hard enough on teams in their own end” – Jack Eichel
Buffalo pulled to within one goal of Chicago with just over seven minutes gone in the third on goals by Jason Pominville and Kyle Okposo, but a Connor Murphy goal just four minutes later was enough for Chicago to come away with the victory.
Okposo jams it home! 4-3. #blackhawks #sabres pic.twitter.com/STsSRBtY9Z
— Buffalo Hockey moments (@SabresPlays) February 2, 2019
The first period was a bit sloppy at times, but Buffalo held the slight edge in play out-shooting the Blackhawks, 14-7. Unfortunately, Buffalo’s hard work didn’t pay off in the first and the only goal of the period came when Drake Caggiula found himself alone in front of Carter Hutton. Caggiula swung a backhander around Hutton giving the opponents a 1-0 lead after the first.
The second period couldn’t have started much worse for the Sabres. With just 50 seconds gone in the stanza, Kane was sent in on a breakaway and beat Hutton on the short side for his 30th of the year and 900th career point. Duncan Keith made it 3-0 when he followed up his original shot and shuffled the puck past the Buffalo netminder.
The Sabres made it a two-goal game when Jack Eichel tipped in a Rasmus Ristolainen shot for his 17th of the year.
Jack Eichel gets the #sabres on the board 3-1! #blackhawks pic.twitter.com/ev4LhrD86p
— Buffalo Hockey moments (@SabresPlays) February 2, 2019
Chicago didn’t ease up all night and before the second period could end Brandon Saad skated in on a two on one with David Kampf. Saad sent a nice wrist shot on the short side ending Carter Hutton’s night and the second period with a 4-1 Chicago lead.
“I still think we’re not in a terrible spot. There is a long way to go, if you’re not frustrated about it, there’s something wrong with you as an individual. We’ve got to know though that no one is going to feel sorry for ourselves.” – Pominville
Next up for the Sabres is a contest with the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night. The game starts at 7:00 PM at KeyBank Center.
