Riding high after a 6-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks, the Buffalo Sabres sit atop the Atlantic Division. Given how this season has gone, it feels like they’ve been sitting on top of the hockey world, as a whole.
A playoff berth means more to the Sabres this season than any other team. The Sabres were the better team against the Washington Capitals on Thursday, but fell short late, dropping a 2-1 decision to end their eight-game winning streak.
The Fourth Line is a Menace
The Sabres came out with jump in their step and part of that has to do with the play of the fourth line. Of late, it has been the trio of Peyton Krebs, Sam Carrick, and Beck Malenstyn, though that shifted a little with Tanner Pearson sliding in due to lineup changes. Once again, this line set the pace.
Malenstyn had an incredible no-look assist on Carrick’s goal in the first period and continues to be impressive. He skates, hits, fights, and scores highlight reel goals. This line could be a difference-maker when the playoffs roll around.
This line has routinely been a ton-setter for the Sabres, even more so since Carrick arrived at the trade deadline. It would be nice to see Krebs go back down to play with Malenstyn and Carrick but it is nice that the Sabres have a few options to plug in.
Hot Goaltending is Hard to Beat
It doesn’t help that Alex Tuch missed the game with a lower body injury but part of the reason the Capitals won is because Logan Thompson was excellent in net. He turned aside 29 of 30 Sabres shots on the night, keeping the Capitals in the game in a dominant first period from the Sabres.
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By the time the third period rolled around, the Sabres were up 25-9 in shots, yet the game was tied 1-1. That’s the effect great goaltending can have on a game. Almost immediately after the Sabres scored in the first, they had several close chances that would have blown the game open.
At the end of the day, you have to find ways to put the puck in the net. Even still, the Sabres had won eight in a row, and this could have easily been a ninth. It is hard to be truly upset when the majority of these games have gone the Sabres’ way.
The Sabres Have an Interesting Decision to Make
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was excellent on Thursday, stopping 20 of 22 shots from the Capitals, including a few high-danger chances that could have swung the game in favor of the Capitals far before the game-winner with under two minutes to go.
Both he and Alex Lyon have been excellent this season, giving the Sabres a tough choice when it comes to who they will start in the playoffs. Lyon is 18-8-3 with a .914 save percentage and 2.65 goals against average while Luukkonen is 15-8-2 with a .905 save percentage and 2.71 goals against average, but most of the underlying numbers favor Lyon.
It is a good problem to have if you’re the Sabres. The most interesting decision they’ll have to make is who fills out the bottom defensive pair. Logan Stanley looked rough at times against the Capitals but Michael Kesselring hasn’t moved the needle, either.
Time to Get Back on the Horse
You can’t win them all and it is encouraging that the Sabres controlled the action for the first half of the game. They need to finish stronger and could have walked away with a win, but these games happen.
The Sabres have a home tilt with the Toronto Maple Leafs then head out on the road for a west coast road trip. They can’t take their foot off the gas pedal, especially with the Tampa Bay Lightning hovering just behind them in the Atlantic.
