The Sabres weren’t able to carry the high of last night’s 6-1 win into the second half of their back-to-back against the Flyers, as they dropped this one 3-0.
| Per. | Time | EV | Goal | Assist | Assist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 17:51 |  Travis Konecny (4) | Oskar Lindblom (1) | Nolan Patrick (2) | |
| 3 | 13:43 | Jakub Voracek (1) | Kevin Hayes (3) | Erik Gustafsson (3) | |
| 3 | 18:18 | EN | Kevin Hayes (2) | --- | --- |
Carter Hutton started his second game in a row, while Brian Elliott got the nod in net for the Flyers after relieving Carter Hart in Monday’s game. The Sabres lineup saw a change as Rasmus Asplund played his first game of the year in favor of a scratched Tage Thompson.
Sabres fans were treated to another solid start by the team in the first period, as they came out flying and traded chances with the Flyers in the opening frame. They failed to capitalize on a 4-on-3, which ended up being the biggest missed opportunity of the game.
Likely the best scoring chance for the Sabres came in the first period too, when Jeff Skinner was stopped twice by Elliott in front of the Philadelphia net on two quick snapshots just a few feet out. The Sabres and Flyers skated to a 0-0 tie after the first.
The second period started with a scary moment for the Sabres, when Carter Hutton was run over and his net flew off the bearings, and his helmet ended up 10 feet away from him after flying off of his head. He looked shaken up, but finished the period and allowed just one goal late in the frame.
scary contact with Huttons neck/head #LetsGoBuffalo #AnytimeAnywhere pic.twitter.com/1AcOknJhec
— Buffalo Hockey moments (@SabresPlays) January 20, 2021
Travis Konecny extended his points lead for the Flyers, notching his sixth point of the year on a slick backhand breakaway goal that made its way through Hutton’s five-hole.
Konecny breakaway goal, 1-0 #LetsGoBuffalo #AnytimeAnywhere pic.twitter.com/gQHGL2VBB4
— Buffalo Hockey moments (@SabresPlays) January 20, 2021
Hutton must have tweaked something, though, because it was Jonas Johansson starting the third between the pipes. Johansson, who started as the team’s third goalie on the Sabres taxi squad to begin the season, made his way to the bench last night and then to the crease tonight, all in less than two days.
The third period had a different tone to it, as the Flyers set the pace and took it to the Sabres early. It wouldn’t be until the second half of the period that they extended their lead, but Jakub Voracek’s first goal of the year helped them to do just that.
From that point on, the Sabres’ sails looked to have the wind taken out of them, and any signs of a comeback, or even a single goal, looked all but futile.
Olofsson: "It was a tight game overall, we stayed in the game from start to finish, they had that breakaway, we had really good scoring chances as well." #Sabres
— Brian Koziol (@BrianWGR) January 20, 2021
In the waning minutes of the game, Head Coach Ralph Krueger made the call to pull Johansson, but it was all for naught. A Kevin Hayes empty netter sealed the deal for a 3-0 Flyers victory. Brian Elliott earned his 41st career shutout with the win.
While it’s just a few games into the season, the Sabres once again find themselves dead last in their division. There’s no reason to fret quite yet, but it is disappointing, and quite frankly head-scratching, to see a team that looked so dominant one night come out so flat and look so poor the next night.
The Sabres have a chance to redeem themselves against the Washington Capitals when they return to action on Friday night.