FINAL: BUF 3 PIT 4
SHOTS: BUF 49 PIT 45
POWER PLAY: BUF 1/5 PIT 1/4
HITS: BUF 36 PIT 21
BLOCKED SHOTS: BUF 12 PIT 6
GOALS:
BUF: Ryan O’Reilly (16) assisted by Brian Gionta (17) and Evander Kane (12)
BUF: Brian Gionta (14) assisted by Matt Moulson (13)
BUF: Jack Eichel (16) assisted by Marcus Foligno (8) and Sam Reinhart (26)
PIT: Justin Schultz (11) assisted by Phil Kessel (38) and Evgeni Malkin (38)
PIT: Evgeni Malkin (29) assisted by Justin Schultz (32) and Patric Hornqvist (20)
PIT: Jake Guentzel (8) assisted by Conor Sheary (19) and Nick Bonino (16)
PIT: Conor Sheary (18) assisted by Justin Schultz (33) and Brian Dumoulin (11)
LINES:
Kane-O’Reilly-Gionta
Foligno-Eichel-Reinhart
Deslauriers-Girgensons-Ennis
Moulson-Rodrigues-Bailey
McCabe-Ristolainen
Falk-Bogosian
Gorges-Franson
Nilsson
RECAP:
Anders Nilsson got the nod to start in today’s game. He had a great performance against the Penguins earlier in the season. Dmitry Kulikov didn’t play in this game because he suffered an upper body injury last night against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Midway through the 1st period, Brian Gionta fed the puck to Ryan O’Reilly and ROR scored a great goal to put Buffalo up 1-0.
Matt Murray turned the puck over to Matt Moulson and he gave it to Brian Gionta in front of the net for the tap in and now the Sabres took a 2-0 lead on the power play.
With just under 2 minutes to go in the 1st period, the Sabres made it a 3-0 lead. Foligno gave the puck to Jack Eichel and Jack ripped it past Matt Murray. Jack Eichel is now on a 10 game point streak.
Somehow the Sabres found a way to walk out of the 1st period with a 3-0 lead. Matt Murray would be pulled in favor of Marc-Andre Fleury at the start of the 2nd period.
8 minutes into the 2nd period, Phil Kessel threw the puck in front of the net and the puck went off of Justin Schultz’s skate and into the net to cut the lead to 3-1. The Sabres don’t play good at all when they have a lead. They consistently sit on their leads and park the bus. Right after Schultz’s goal, Evander Kane had a breakaway and was shut down by Fleury.
Justin Falk took a penalty and the Pens got a power play against one of the league’s worst penalty killing teams. Justin Schultz set up Malkin for the one timer and Geno ripped it past Nilsson to make it 3-2.
Jack Eichel was assessed a penalty for being taken down by Patric Hornqvist. I don’t understand why the officials always let other players haul him down every game. It’s just ridiculous. Every other star in the league gets these calls except for Eichel. The Penguins woke up in that 2nd period and the Sabres continued to play below average in the 2nd frame.
The Penguins tied the game up at 3 late in the 3rd period. Jake Guentzel redirected the puck past Anders Nilsson and the goal was reviewed for high sticking.Surprisingly, the goal did count and the game was tied at 3.
Shortly after that, Conor Sheary sealed the deal and the Buffalo Sabres choked once again and fell 4-3 to the Pittsburgh Penguins after leading by a score of 3-0 after the 1st period. Unbelievable…
