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Quick Hitters from Sabres Versus Kings

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Buffalo Sabres Los Angeles Kings game recap

The Buffalo Sabres dipped, dazzled, and riled up their home crowd, but ultimately coughed up a 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. It was a completely dominant performance through two periods for Buffalo, but the third period told a different tale.



It took until the second period, but Alex Tuch opened the scoring on his own rebound on a shorthanded breakaway. It was one of many shorthanded opportunities for the Sabres, as the Kings continuously coughed the puck up on zone entry attempts.

Anze Kopitar evened the scoring early in the third, tightening up an otherwise Sabres-heavy affair. It was the start of a third-period hat trick. Late penalties by Jason Zucker and Mattias Samuelsson cost the team, as Kopitar’s point shot found the net with just over a minute remaining to give the Kings the go-ahead goal. Kopitar’s empty-net goal sealed it with 41.1 seconds remaining.

Scoring Chances Galore

The Sabres poured it on in the first two periods, dominating not only the shot attempts but the shot quality as well. A combination of missed opportunities and spectacular goaltending by Darcy Kuemper kept the Kings only down a goal heading into the third.

If Buffalo can continue to drive the underlying statistics by playing at the pace and intensity they want, it’s a recipe for success in the long term. The Sabres had guys in the right areas of the ice all night, and the puck got to those areas as a result.

More Sabres: Ranking Sabres Forwards, Defense, and Goalies Among NHL Teams

Power Kill

The penalty kill unit brought speed and jump from the very first shorthanded opportunity. Ryan McLeod, Connor Clifton, Jordan Greenway, and Alex Tuch all produced counter-rush chances, which raised the energy level of the entire home building.

McLeod was awarded a penalty shot and stopped by Kuemper on one opportunity. Tuch picked off a Kings player at the blueline and walked in for a shorthanded breakaway goal on another.

The late goal aside, it was an impressive showing by the entire unit. The open ice adheres to the speed of the Sabres well, so this could be a weapon all season.

More McLeod: Evaluating Newest Sabres Forward Ryan McLeod

Process Doesn’t Always Equal Results

Despite the dominance of the first two periods, the Sabres found themselves in a dicey situation early in the third. Kopitar’s goal tied the game up for an “undeserving” even score. It’s proof that Buffalo has to be more opportunistic and finish their chances to keep themselves out of harm’s way.

Otherwise, it was a lopsided game.