Philadelphia comes in hot as Buffalo fails to score with disappointing offensive effort
Score: Flyers 4 | Sabres 0
Shots: PHI 38 | BUF 28
Buffalo Sabres Goals: None
Philadelphia Flyers Goals: Zack MacEwen (4), Joel Farabee (9), Noah Cates (5), Wade Allison (5)
Minus-1: Too Many Turnovers in a Sloppy First
The Flyers – following a tough 6-2 loss against Toronto last night – entered tonight’s game as one of the worst first period teams with a -13 goal differential. However, tonight began very differently for Philadelphia as they began the game fast and furious and exited the first 20 minutes with a three-goal lead (which would have been four goals if the final one had not been reviewed and waved off). During the first period alone, the Flyers had 14 different players with at least one shot attempt.
To summarize, it was a terrible period for the goathead jerseys tonight. Aside from their measly five shots on goal, there were turnovers aplenty on top of a penalty to kill. Interestingly enough, though, the Sabres looked their best with the loss of a skater (thanks to Peyton Krebs’ tripping penalty). Dylan Cozens came close to scoring shorthanded, but shot high and missed the net. As the penalty expired, Krebs had his own chance, but could not connect with the back of the net. This theme would unfortunately continue for the remainder of the game.
Minus-2: More Scoreless Periods
It was not until halfway through the second period that the Sabres seemed to get their spark back. They had a few minutes of solid offensive pressure, but Buffalo was unable to bury the puck for another period as the score remained 3-0 going into the second intermission. The Flyers are 10-0-1 when leading after two periods, so the odds were just not in the Sabres’ favor.
Final Thoughts
This might have been the Sabres’ worst game so far and, coincidentally, it was their first time being shut out this season. To be honest, the first period set the tone for the whole game. They looked lost throughout the first and uninspired for the final two. There were a few shining moments, but overall the home team looked lethargic next to Philly – a team that has been on the upswing, winning four out of their last five matchups.
To make matters worse, Buffalo did not have a powerplay until the final minutes of the third period. Even with the man-advantage, they still could not capitalize on the opportunity. All areas of the team – offense, defense, and goaltending – are to blame for this one. The best thing the Sabres can do at this point is come back tomorrow against Seattle – a team they have never defeated – and bury a handful of goals. This will be no easy feat as the Kraken (22-12-4) are the highest scoring road team in the NHL.