In the midst of a horrific losing streak, things didn’t go much better on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
The Sabres scored two early goals in the third period to even the score, but the Rangers were the better team for most of the night. Chris Kreider scored his second goal of the game midway through the 3rd, which turned out to be the game-winner.
| Per. | Time | EV | Goal | Assist | Assist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 3:52 |  Rasmus Asplund (2) | Riley Sheahan (3) | Victor Olofsson (12) | |
| 2 | 7:13 |  Kaapo Kakko (3) | Artemi Panarin (18) | --- | |
| 2 | 10:39 | PPG | Chris Kreider (15) | Artemi Panarin (19) | Adam Fox (17) |
| 2 | 18:18 | Adam Fox (3) | Mika Zibanejad (13) | --- | |
| 3 | 1:09 | Dylan Cozens (4) | Sam Reinhart (9) | --- | |
| 3 | 4:22 | Jeff Skinner (3) | Brandon Montour (7) | --- | |
| 3 | 5:47 | PPG | Chris Kreider (16) | Ryan Strome (15) | Adam Fox (18) |
| 3 | 19:02 | Kaapo Kakko (4) | Artemi Panarin (20) | Ryan Strome (16) |
Just a day after trading Jonas Johansson, the Sabres starting goalie left the game with an injury. Carter Hutton went down early in the first period after a collision, forcing the Sabres to bring in their backup.
Carter Hutton in pain after a collision #LetsGoBuffalo #NYR pic.twitter.com/PyqCGJRo9v
— Buffalo Hockey moments (@SabresPlays) March 22, 2021
Dustin Tokarski hadn’t appeared in an NHL game since 2016-17 when he played in just one game for the Anaheim Ducks. He stopped 33 of 37 shots, but the Sabres were outshot 40-19 as Hutton made two other saves. The Rangers added an empty-netter in the final minute.
The Sabres didn’t have any further report on Hutton.
Dylan Cozens, Jeff Skinner, and Rasmus Asplund did the scoring for Buffalo. It was a rare three-goal performance by the team, but a 14th straight defeat.
I appreciated this response from Don Granato #Sabres pic.twitter.com/NbUj6j4GJq
— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) March 23, 2021
In what has become a lost season, moral victories are even becoming tiresome once again. There are a few guys playing well, but there are others such as Cody Eakin who should not be in the NHL.
The biggest thing fans can look forward to is the Trade Deadline in a few weeks. The team will win a game eventually, but what is Kevyn Adams going to do with this squad?
Next up for the Sabres is a pair of road games against the Pittsburgh Penguins. They’ll play on Wednesday at 8 p.m. and Thursday at 7 p.m.