Scoring 1st 2nd 3rd Total 
Ducks3 0 0 3 
Sabres1 1 0 2
Who knew that the game between the Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins at 12:30 EST on Sunday would be more exciting?
That looked like it was going to be the case. The early indication was that it was going to be quite a long afternoon for Buffalo as they went down 3-0 in the opening 12 minutes of the game.
Jonas Johansson let in some soft goals and was likely one or two more away from being pulled. That could’ve happened if the Ducks’ penalty shot was successful, but Johansson did a good job of getting the pad down.
Jonas Johansson penalty shot save #Sabres50 #LetsGoDucks pic.twitter.com/z2ZCAC4ZGY
— Buffalo Hockey moments (@SabresPlays) February 9, 2020
The entire Sabres team recovered rather nicely considering they were down, 3-0. They put on tons of pressure early in the third period, maybe some of their best shifts all season. But they couldn’t beat Ryan Miller a third time.
Per. Time EV Goal Assist Assist 1 6:15 Jakob Silfverberg (17)Sam Steel (15) Michael Del Zotto (9) 1 10:45 Ryan Getzlaf (12)RIckard Rakell (21) Devin Shore (5) 1 12:00 Nick Ritchie (6)Troy Terry (8) Adam Henrique (12) 1 18:53 Johan Larsson (5)Scott Wilson (1) --- 2 11:41 PPG Rasmus Dahlin (4)Jack Eichel (38) Jimmy Vesey (10)
Miller came up with some big saves in the final period.
Ryan Miller gives a little twirl, waves to fans as he leaves the ice as game’s Third Star. pic.twitter.com/8zPgu7F4jD
— John Vogl (@BuffaloVogl) February 9, 2020
It was kind of nice to see him win in Buffalo, honestly. The Sabres haven’t had a strong, reliable goaltender since Miller.
Ryan Miller gets the start in net for the Ducks, here to remind us of #BetterDays pic.twitter.com/CYTr61S61G
— The Charging Buffalo (@TheChargingBUF) February 9, 2020
The Ducks were in defensive mode right until the final buzzer and they somehow hung on.
I think Buffalo played well for a majority of the game. But that has been the problem for too long. They have a short span where they completely stop playing and it costs them. It would’ve been nice for Johansson to make a couple of those stops early in the game, but he ended up keeping his team in the game.
Another frustrating note is that the Ducks played on Saturday, so this was a back-to-back set for them. The Sabres had a day off and couldn’t take advantage of a tired Anaheim team.
The usage of Jeff Skinner has continued to be a little puzzling. He’s not lighting it up like he was last year – not even close – but Krueger has not put Skinner back on the power play, either. Skinner will be an important part of the future, and the Sabres will need him to find his game.
“I think you always put pressure on yourself, guys that get to this level they are competitive guys, you want to help the team win. I know my role in helping the team win and I haven’t been doing it.” – Skinner
Look at how much ice time Jack Eichel had!
Eichel played 12:20 in the 3rd period, 28:22 in the game that didn't even go to overtime. #Sabres50
— Brian Koziol (@BrianWGR) February 9, 2020
In the end, it’s another poor start to a homestand. The Sabres will host the Red Wings on Tuesday at 7 p.m. EST.